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Will Glendale Be the Next City to Ban the Plastic Bag?
Photo by Jon Nightingale via Shutterstock
The Glendale City Council is looking at implementing a plastic bag ban that mirrors the one already in place for unincorporated Los Angeles County.
The push to force businesses and shoppers to utilize bags that are more eco-friendly, in particular reusable bags, has been strong in the Los Angeles area for the past few years. "Glendale officials began pushing for a ban three years ago, but as legal challenges against other cities started to pop up, City Hall switched into wait-and-see mode," notes the Glendale News-Press of their local effort.
Neighboring cities, like Pasadena and Burbank, are already working on bans.
"Green Glendale, an environmental group, said it’s in favor of a plastic bag ban, which also has support from the California Grocers Assn. and local retailers," reports the News-Press. Cities, like the County, implement plastic bag bans in phases, and provide assistance and information to consumers and retailers to help them make the transition.
The L.A. County ban, after which Glendale is likely to model theirs, will ban single-use plastic bags first in larger stores, then smaller ones. Paper bags will be made available for a 10-cent per piece surcharge.
Recycling plastic bags is harder than recycling paper ones, and retailers are meant to be aided financially by that 10-cent surcharge in order to offset their need to stock the more costly paper bags. Supporters of plastic bag bans also maintain that plastic bags are more harmful to the environment because they "clog storm drains and harm wildlife."
Glendale's City Council will take on the issue in their Tuesday meeting.
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