What happens when a city of nearly four million people go grocery shopping? Well, according to the City of Los Angeles city council, the result is clogged gutters, polluted rivers, and beaches piled up with plastic shopping bags. Hopefully, that will soon be a thing of the past, now that the city council has approved a ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores. If that ban has you scrambling, then it’s time to look into
eco-friendly reusable shopping bags.
Why the Ban?
Estimates show that stores in the city of L.A. send approximately two billion plastic bags out of their doors every year. Unfortunately, those plastic bags are not always disposed of properly and become a source of pollution. Wildlife in the sea and on land are being harmed every day by these plastic bags. And, although the use of
reusable grocery bags has gone up in recent years, the convenience of the plastic bag has led to its continued use. Unfortunately, this use has come at a great cost to the environment, and added to the growing sea area known as the Pacific garbage patch. Because of this, the city council decided it was time to make a definitive change that will, undoubtedly, bring a drastic rise in the use of eco-friendly reusable shopping bags. L.A. has become the largest city in the nation to place a ban on plastic bags, taking a very proactive stance in encouraging consumers to utilize
green tote bags. The new statute also requires a ten cent charge per paper bag, should consumers choose to utilize paper rather than reusable grocery bags.
Who does it Affect?
The new ban affects retailers selling groceries throughout the city of Los Angeles. The policy is set to be enforced starting January 1, 2014 for larger stores, and July, 2014 for smaller retailers. The city promises to launch an education campaign and distribute one million eco-friendly reusable shopping bags before the ban takes place. A number which seems to be just a drop in the bucket.
Statewide Ban in the Future?
Some suggest that this move toward reusable shopping bags may be an advantage in the effort of getting plastic bags banned statewide, something that was almost accomplished in the most recent senate session. With the ban in L.A. and the possibility of a statewide ban, it is a good time to be proactive and order reusable grocery bags for your store now. After all, the sooner beautiful, “green” tote bags emblazoned with your company logo are in the hands of consumers, the sooner you gain a reputation for caring for the environment.
Where to get them?
Holden Bags has some of the most progressive, state of the art green tote bags on the market today. Eco-friendly reusable shopping bags come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and completely customized to your needs. For more information or for a quote please visit
www.holdenbags.com.
