As the Plastic Bag Turns

The Long Beach City Council will likely vote to give plastic bags, which make up 25 percent of the city's litter, the boot at its meeting tonight, reports the Long Beach Post. The ban would go into effect at grocery stores on August 1, with smaller stores and bodegas given until January 1 to comply. Like most plastic bag bans, customers will be encouraged to bring their own canvas carriers and be charged a dime for paper bags. Santa Monica's bag ban goes into effect September 1 and a prohibition has already been enacted in unincorporated areas of LA County, though not in the city of LA. [LB Post/LA Snark]