Valley looks into bannng plastic bags
With Los Angeles recently banning the use of plastic bags, the issue is being brought to light here in our valley once again. The city of Palm Desert is still trying to pass that ban, but the success of that ordinance may lie in the hands of the rest of the desert cities.
The Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) is discussing the possibility of banning plastic bags — not just in one city.
When you check out at the grocery store, its as simple as one, two, three.
However, when you leave the grocery store, plastic bags can get very complicated. Palm Desert continues to vie for the ban of single-use plastic bags. With the potential ordinance, there will be either a ban or a tax.
A ban means no plastic bags — you’d use paper or reusable bags.
A tax means a charge to use plastic. Los Angeles recently banned plastic bags — the largest city in the country to do so.
“It kind of spurs some questions and gets people asking ‘Is this something we should do?'” Michele Mician, the Palm Springs Sustainability manager, said.
Backers of the bag ban say the move will improve the city’s environment and save taxpayers money on trash cleanup. What does it take for the ban to happen right here at home?
“If resolutions and ordinances are passed across the valley, it’s easier for a city to adopt it,” Mician said.
Indio is trying to pass a plastic bag ordinance. The city of Palm Springs is looking at the possibility of trying to implement one.
“They’re bad for the environment, just like plastic bottles, and we should get rid of them,” Grant said.
The City of Palm Desert’s youth group helped the city get the feedback it needs — with a survey of Palm Desert High School students.
“This cannot just happen in Palm Desert. If we do that, then anyone can go to a neighboring city and avoid the tax,” Palm Desert High School sophomore Andrew Mehta said.
Despite strong green support, the ordinance, because of opposition, is definitely not in the bag.
“I don’t know if they really hurt the environment as much as they say it does,” La Quinta resident Paul Camer said.
The potential ordinance won’t be on the Palm Desert City council’s agenda until around November.
