No more free plastic bags in Sacramento City stores

The ordinance prohibiting retail shops including convenience stores from offering free plastic bags is now implemented in Sacramento City, California, according to Sacramento Bee.

The ban took effect on New Year’s Day and affects about 400 stores in the city, reported fox40.com.

Shoppers have the option to bring their own bag or buy a paper or plastic bag for 10 cents each.

For health and food safety reasons, however, the law allows produce bags at grocery stores, and plastic bags at food and beverage establishments such as restaurants, to-go-orders, and delis.

The new law aims to reduce the 14 million plastic bags used by shoppers every month, which are blamed for clogging waterways, landfills, and recycling machineries.

On the contrary, critics, led by the plastic bag industry, oppose the ban arguing that it will not have any substantial environmental effect and charging a dime for a bag will just benefit the retailers.

A proposed state-wide ban will be voted on November 16.