No plastic bags in L.A. stores

LOS ANGELES, CA The City Council voted Tuesday to ban plastic shopping bags from stores beginning July 1, 2010. Shoppers can either bring their own bags or pay 25 cents for a paper bag.

City officials say the ban is meant to reduce waste in Los Angeles, which uses about 2.3 billion plastic bags a year.

The council's vote also puts pressure on the state, which is considering a bill that would ban plastic bags in 2012 and charge at least 15 cents per paper bag.

Last year, San Francisco passed the nation's first bag ban, which took effect in November.

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