Los Angeles city council votes to ban plastic bags

The City Council today voted to move forward with a ban on plastic bags and to charge a fee on paper bags at grocery stores, a move aimed at improving the region’s environment, saving taxpayers money on trash cleanup and promoting sustainability.

The council’s 13-1 vote orders the Bureau of Sanitation to complete an environmental review of the ban and an ordinance to enact it in four months.

Once in effect, Los Angeles will be the largest city in the nation to ban plastic bags.