The Skinny on L.A. County's new anti-plastic bag legislation
So the plastic bag hearing at the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting today wasn't actually about banning the bag. And the final decision made doesn't require any changes, really, until July 2010. Still, the fate of plastic bags in LA is more complicated than that. The skinny on the legislation that was passed:
- Stores (more accurately, stores bigger than 10,000 square feet that use plastic bags a lot) will employ voluntary efforts to reduce plastic bag use. The goal: 30% reduction by 2010, 65% reduction by 2013.
- If these reduction goals aren't met, an automatic plastic bag ban kicks in. The earliest a ban could go into effect: July 2010.
No, it's not all bad news -- if you're willing to just focus on 2013. I mean, the 30% reduction can be achieved without any tough measures -- and really, it's just 30%. The 65% reduction will be tougher to meet without more serious effort -- i.e. a bag tax -- so stores will either need to take serious measures themselves or face a bag ban -- 5+ years from now.
Think this legislation looks soft compared to, say, San Francisco's plastic bag ban? I'm with you. Next: Some deets on why L.A.'s anti-plastic bag legislation's so watered down, along with deets about the hearing itself.
Update: Why not a ban?: Details on the anti-plastic bag hearing
Photo courtesy of envirowoman
