|
LA bans plastic
23/07/2008 10:06 - (SA)
Los Angeles - The Los Angeles City Council voted to ban plastic shopping bags from stores, beginning July 1 2010. Shoppers can either bring their own bags or pay R1.90 for a paper or biodegradable bag.
The council's unanimous vote Tuesday also puts pressure on the state legislature, which is considering a bill that would impose bag recycling requirements on stores. City officials said their ban would not be implemented if the state passes the bill and requires at least a R1.90 charge per bag.
"We've gotten to a point where we need to act as a city, where we can have real results," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who proposed the bag ban. "We're trying to do it in a way where we can educate and inform the public of what we're doing."
Reyes said the ban would minimise cleanup costs for the city and reduce garbage that collects in storm drains and the Los Angeles River. The city estimates more than two billion plastic bags are used each year in Los Angeles. About 5% of plastic bags and 21% of paper bags are recycled in California.
Three percent of the bag fee will be returned to the retailer, 3% will go to the state, and the rest will go back to the city to fund an education campaign.
Last year, San Francisco passed the first plastic bag ban in the US, which took effect in November.
- AP
|
South Africa
