Posted: 05/17/2011 08:13:53 PM PDT
Updated: 05/19/2011 12:39:21 PM PDT
To the sound of applause from a crowd of residents and environmentalists, the council voted 5-0 to approve the bag ban. Three council members were absent from the meeting -- Gary DeLong, Patrick O'Donnell and Rae Gabelich -- and a fourth member who was the only to voice concerns about the ban Tuesday, Gerrie Schipske, left early because of an illness.
While council members and members of the environmental community said the ban will prevent bags from contaminating waterways, where they harm or are ingested by marine animals, about as many people spoke against the ordinance.
Kirsten James, water quality director for Heal the Bay, told the council that she sees the impact of plastic bags during her organization's 400 annual creek and beach cleanups.
"Plastic bags are continually one of the top items we find time and time again," James said. "Recycling and voluntary programs simply do not work."
Opponents, including Long Beach residents and representatives of industries that would be affected by the ordinance, called the bag ban a product of the "nanny state" or a "de facto regressive tax" because of the 10-cent fee that will be charged for paper bags. They also argued that the ban would hurt jobs, particularly minority jobs, and small businesses, as well as limit consumer choice.
Under the ban, which is based on one that is going into effect this summer in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, the distribution of plastic bags would be prohibited at most grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, supermarkets, farmers markets and other retail stores that sell food and similar items. Heavier bags, such as those used by Target, wouldn't be prohibited under the law.
Stores that want to offer recyclable paper bags would be required to charge 10 cents per bag to cover their costs and to discourage shoppers from using the paper bags.
The ordinance would go into effect Aug. 1 for large stores, which is one month after the county's law goes into effect. Smaller stores and farmers markets will have until Jan. 1 to do away with plastic bags.
Cathy Browne of Crown Poly, a Los Angeles plastic bag manufacturer, said that her 300 employees could be put at risk by the growing trend of plastic bag bans, noting that many of the reusable bags that shoppers instead would use are produced overseas.
"You are exporting jobs from L.A. County to China," Browne said. "I don't think that's your intention, but it is what will happen."
Sherri McCarthy of the American Chemistry Council, a trade association representing chemical and plastics manufacturers, said shoppers already pay for the cost of bags in the price of groceries, so charging 10 cents for paper bags would add to this.
"In essence, this ordinance is going to force those consumers to pay twice," McCarthy said.
Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, who had proposed the measure last year, responded that the 10-cent fee is based on the county's ordinance and will discourage people from buying paper bags.
To speakers who said that the community had switched years ago from paper to plastic bags in order to save trees, Lowenthal said that society has since discovered the devastating impact of plastic.
"Over the decades, we have learned that plastic and the cost of plastic is much greater than what the benefits are," Lowenthal said.
paul.eakins@presstelegram.com
562-499-1278
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