Mayor signs Los Angeles plastic bag ban into law
Mayor signs Los Angeles plastic bag ban into law that takes effect in 2014
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has signed into law a ban on giving out free plastic bags in Los Angeles grocery stores.
The historic ban signed Wednesday makes Los Angeles the biggest city in the country to ban the bags.
Under the law, which takes effect Jan. 1, shoppers will have to tote their own bags, or pay 10 cents each for paper bags.
About $2 million a year is spent to clean up plastic bag litter in Los Angeles.
The city plans to hand out 1 million reusable bags in low-income areas.
Small stores have until June 2014 to begin enforcing.
Stores will be required to file quarterly reports on the number of paper bags purchased.
Santa Monica and San Francisco already have plastic bag bans.
