Probably only global warming serves as more of a touch point in
terms of environmental concerns than does the issue of plastic
shopping bags. Environmentalists have been pushing to ban the
plastics for years, with success in a few cities to date,
primarily in California, while others (sometimes including
plastic bag industry interests) that plastic bags are actually
more environmentally friendly than the paper bag alternatives.
This week, West Hollywood became the latest California city to
ban retailers from using plastic bags, joining Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Pasadena, Millbrae and
others in the move, some 50 cities in total. Legislation in San
Diego and Sonoma County in California is also moving forward,
though passage is not certain. There is also a proposal to ban
plastic in retail statewide, but that legislation has failed in
the state senate previously and may again this time. But
California cities are far from the only local jurisdictions to
ban or consider banning retail p