Palo Alto - The Palo Alto City Council has decided to ban plastic bags at supermarkets in the the city. During Monday night's meeting, the Council gave stores until September to get rid of their existing plastic pabs and stock up on paper bags and reusable bags.
The 7 - 1 vote was criticized by people on both sides of the issue. Representatives for the plastics industry are threatening to sue the city. Environmentalists are unhappy that the ban only applies to four supermarkets in Palo Alto and not pharmacies or convenience stores.
The Council asked City staff to look into possibly expanding the ban into all stores and placing a fee on the use of paper bags.
