Los Angeles Approves Plastic Bag Ban

In an 11-1 vote yesterday, Los Angeles became the biggest city in the United States to ban free plastic shopping bags from stores.  When the new law goes into effect (Between January 1 and July 1, 2014) it will make it illegal for stores to sack your groceries in plastic bags.  Instead, customers will have to either bring their own bags or pay 10 cents for a paper bag.

Enviromental reasons are the main reason for the passing of the law.  Plastic bags are not biodegradable and fill up landfills.  Even with that knowledge, many people are torn on the new law.

Personally, I can see it both ways.  Yeah, its good to protect the environment, but it's not like I'm not already paying for the bags. Groceries are marked up.  When you buy that case of soda, you aren't just paying for it. You are paying for the wages of the workers, the building, the electricity, and...the plastic bag to put it in. Plus, I know I don't always have a plan when I go shopping. Sometimes I just stop in the store on a whim when I decide I want to cook something for dinner.  Now I'd have to make sure I have my shopping bags with me or actually start planning things.

Is this new law a sign of things in the future for other cities? Could Wichita Falls end up banning plastic bags?  What's your opinion?

 [Los Angeles Times]