Just Released! Order “Waking Up to Climate Change” by George Ropes, and receive 25% Discount. Learn More

HOME          CATEGORIES          OUR TAKE

Los Angeles to become largest US city banning plastic bags

The Los Angeles City Council has recently voted to move ahead with a ban on single-use plastic grocery bags. The controversial ban was designed to reduce waste from landfills and debris entering local waterways. This would make LA the largest US city to impose such a ban, which would impact some 7,500 stores and 4 million people. Although the ban is not yet finalized, it could give rise to efforts to ban plastic bags in other US communities and possible implementation of a statewide ban in California. Supporters believe the ban would be a major step for the environment, while critics believe that it is an example of regulatory overreach which could limit consumer choices and potentially cost jobs. The American Progressive Bag Alliance, which represents those who produce and recycle plastic bags claim that the ban could threaten about 2,000 jobs and will push residents towards less environmentally-friendly non-recyclable reusable bags produced in other countries. They claim that banning only one product cannot significantly reduce litter. However, environmentalists believe that the ban could make a huge difference for ecosystems, as these plastic bags (of which only 5% are currently recycled) clog waterways and litter city streets.

Gary Monitz

Comment on this article

ClimateYou moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (New York time) and can only accept comments written in English.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE


More Posts Like This

CITY TECH BLOG

What Can Students Do to Help Slow, Stop or Solve Climate Change?

The issue of climate change is one of the most significant challenges of our time. It has far-reaching implications for the planet’s ecosystems, economies, and societies. As the generation responsible for the outcome of today’s environmental decisions, students have a unique responsibility to actively engage in the fight

CITY TECH BLOG

My View Towards the New Climate Change Legislation

I think the new climate change legislation passed by the Congress in August of 2022 will only slightly impact climate change because the new legislation will not immediately come into play by having everyone suddenly obey the new law. The Inflation Reduction Act, as it is called after

CITY TECH BLOG

My Take on Climate Change

According to information given on the website Climate.org, there are a number of statistics which are indicative of the current climate condition: For example, carbon dioxide in the Atmosphere — 414 (Carbon Dioxide…).  According to the Climate Portal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “Atmospheric CO2 levels of