LA May Bag Supermarket Staple

On Wednesday, Councilman Ed Reyes submitted a new proposal to get rid of grocery-bag blight. While other city leaders advocate following the lead of San Francisco and ban the free distribution of grocery bags in supermarkets, the Environmental News Network reports that Councilman Reyes wants manufacturers of plastics and officials in grocery chains to partner with him on bag cleanups and recycling programs.

"San Francisco has the wherewithal to charge that much. San Francisco has a different income group," Reyes said. "Here in Los Angeles, I would rather work with the industry before we get into that."

San Francisco officials are considering a fee of 17 cents per bag in a bid to encourage Bay Area shoppers to bring their own sacks in an effort to recoup the cost of grocery-bag litter.

Reyes' proposal to create a task force on plastic bags will likely go to the full City Council next week after being approved Wednesday by the council's Environmental Quality and Waste Management Committee. Reyes hopes the task force will hold its first meeting in March and produce recommendations 60 days later.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We suspect this eye-catching, but ultimately doomed, proposal will get buried and never see the light of day.