LA City Committee Supports Plastic Bag Fee, Foam Container Ban

Los Angeles is considering a plan that would reduce plastic bag use by retailers and ban foam containers at city facilities, reports the Associated Press.

The city council’s energy and environment committee unanimously supported Tuesday a plan to ban the use of plastic bags at all supermarkets and retail stores, unless the state passes a bill which would impose a $.25 fee for each plastic bag.

The committee’s plan also bans the use of containers made of foam, or expanded polystrene plastic, at city facilities and events. The city spends $20,000 per year on polystyrene products, and most of them end up in the landfill, said Neil Guglielmo, a recycling manager at the city Bureau of Sanitation.

The full council has not yet voted on the proposal.

Find out about recycling programs and news in your area with Earth 911′s Act Locally section.

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