Recent LA plastic bag ban to affect Westwood, may be adopted by ASUCLA

Local officials approved a ban on plastic bags last week that will gradually eliminate them from businesses around Los Angeles city.

On Tuesday June 25, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance on a 9-1 vote, banning plastic bags from large retail stores and pharmacies.

The ban will also affect smaller supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores, said Andy Shrader, deputy of environmental affairs and sustainability for councilmember Paul Koretz.

Councilmember Koretz, whose district includes Westwood, voted in support of the ordinance when the council first voted on it last year. Mayor Villaraigosa signed the ordinance on Wednesday, making the ban official.

Other cities such as Santa Monica, San Francisco and Seattle have already passed a similar ordinance, according to municipal documents.

In Los Angeles, larger stores must now eliminate plastic bags by Jan. 1 and smaller stores on July 1 of next year, Shrader said. Shoppers will have to bring their own reusable bags or pay a 10-cent fee per paper bag.

Jose Toscano, manager at Ralphs on Le Conte Avenue, said other Ralphs location in Malibu and Santa Monica have already eliminated plastic bags.

“Some customers are happy and some are mad,” Toscano said. “But we train them; they have to get used to it.”

Associated Students UCLA are also considering the possibility of participating in the city ordinance but no decisions have been made. Members of the board of directors at ASUCLA is not sure how the ban will be put into effect because they weren’t exactly sure of the details of the ordinance, said Karen Noh, director of special projects at ASUCLA.

The ASUCLA board of directors will be meeting on July 12 to discuss the ordinance, Noh added.

Student shoppers had mixed reactions to the ban.

“It’s going to be inconvenient, and I might forget to bring my reusable bag – then I’m going to have to pay extra for paper bags,” said Jacqueline Yang, second-year undeclared engineering student, while shopping at Ralphs in Westwood.

While shopping at CVS in Westwood, Parham Peyda, a second-year undeclared engineering student, said he thought the ban will be good way to decrease the amount of pollution in Los Angeles.

While plastic manufacturers argue that the costs for shoppers will go up, proponents of the ban ordinance say it will cheapen overall costs for shoppers because the cost of grocery bags is imbedded in the price of groceries, Shrader said.

The Bureau of Sanitation spends $25 million a year to clean up the city, and since plastic bags are large portions of the trash, the ban would eventually save money, Shrader said.

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