Chicago Alderman Wants To Ban Plastic Bags At Grocery Stores

Large stores in Chicago would be banned from putting shoppers' products in plastic bags under a proposal introduced Nov. 2nd.

Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno, 1st, said the plastic bag ban would put Chicago near the forefront of American cities in what he characterized as a progressive move to improve the environment.

"Every day, our streets, our sidewalks, our parks are filled every day with these bags," Moreno said, holding up a plastic shopping bag at a City Hall press conference. "They are horrible for our environment."

Similar prohibitions on plastic bags have been discussed in the City Council in the past. In 2008, aldermen initially proposed outlawing them, before dropping that idea in the face of opposition from Mayor Richard Daley. Instead, the council passed an ordinance requiring large chain stores to provide recycling for plastic bags, but Moreno said that hasn't worked because the bags are difficult to recycle.

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