Plastic Bag Ban: Helpful or Harmful to the Environment?

Plastic carryout bags are now banned from being used in large grocery stores and pharmacies in Montrose, La Crescenta and all unincorporated areas throughout L.A. County. Smaller stores will be banned from using plastic bags on January 1, 2012.

Some Arguments for the Plastic Bag Ban:

• Encourages the use of reusable grocery bags, according to the Department of Public Works.
• Plastic bags entering the ocean/marine areas are a threat to marine life, according to the DPW.
• Plastic bags create more litter, according to the DPW.

Some Arguments Against the Plastic Bag Ban:

• The ten-cent charge on paper bags represents "a new tax on the consumer," according to Montrose and La Crescenta's Supervisor Michael Antonovich.
• A loss of jobs, loss of wages for workers, and a loss of disposable income, according to Hilex Poly, an American manufacturer who makes plastic bags out of recycled materials and operates the world's largest plastic bag recycling facility.
• See the infographic on the right for more arguments against the plastic bag ban, by Hilex Poly.

But, what do you think? Is this plastic bag ban a good idea or a bad idea?

Tell us in the comments!

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