Glendale and Cupertino Ban Plastic Bags

Starting a year from now, you'll have to pay to use plastic bags in Glendale grocery stores, large pharmacies, and certain convenience stores. Up north in Cupertino, an even wider ban will go into effect this October.

There are now nearly 60 cities throughout California that have enacted such bans, In both Glendale and Cupertino, shoppers will be able to purchase paper bags at 10 cents a pop, money that is kept by the stores selling them (meaning it's not a tax, just a purchase).

Such bans are meant to address two environmental concerns: the damage done by both producing plastic bags and by throwing them away. According to environment advocacy group Environment California, "Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, filling their stomachs with indigestible blockage that can eventually starve the animal to death. Birds and fish can become tangled in plastic, impeding their ability to feed or escape predators."

Votes to ban plastic bags were unanimous in both cities.