West Hollywood Adopts Ordinance Banning Plastic Bags

WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Say "so long" to plastic bags in West Hollywood.

The City Council adopted an ordinance Monday night banning the use of the bags.

West Hollywood is the latest California city to ban plastic bags. Santa Monica, Malibu, Long Beach, San Jose, San Francisco, Berkeley and Pasadena already forbid them in grocery stores.

However, the West Hollywood ordinance is taking the ban past grocery stores. The edict also bans pharmacies, newsstands and even retailers from distributing the bags.

Restaurants and farmers markets are excluded from the ban.

Stores are permitted to sell shoppers 10-cent paper bags with at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled content.

Large retailers are required to end their use of plastic bags by February. Smaller stores have one year to comply.

On May 23, the Los Angeles City Council approved a proposal to ban the bags across the city as well. Large retailers in the city will phase out plastic bags by the end of the year.

Once in effect, Los Angeles will be the largest U.S. city to enact a plastic bag ban.

RELATED STORY: LA City Council Approves Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags