It's in the bag...

In California, beginning July 1, 2015, stores and pharmacies will not be able to give out plastic bags with purchases according to the new law SB 270.  This is reported on npr.org, and I found the article to be cogent, as it simply went over the law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, and did not add an opinion about the new law.

The law requires that businesses collect a 10 cent fee per paper bag, and the proceeds are kept by the store which can be used to cover costs incurred by the store adhering to SB 270.  The law will affect grocery stores and pharmacies, with convenience and liquor stores being added in the next year.  

California is also the first state to mandate a ban on one use plastic bags, but Washington D.C. and San Francisco are cities that have previously banned the bags. Many environmentalists are happy about the new regulation, an industry group called the American Progressive Bag Alliance is in the process of overturning the law with a referendum on the 2016 ballot.  Another voice against the bag ban is the Retail Merchants Association who believe that a ban will raise costs for businesses.  

The retailers do not want to be the entity to explain to an annoyed customer exactly why they cannot bag their purchases without "nickel and dime-ing" them.  The city is addressing this concern and plans to educate the state and reiterate the long-term benefits of bag banning.  

Overall, this was a good article which discussed both sides of the issue and left it to the reader to decide which side they agreed with.