Plastic grocery bags often provide significant accessibility advantages for people with disabilities compared to paper bags due to their physical design and material properties. If you use a wheelchair, a walker, or a cane, a plastic bag is a necessity.
We can urge our city to overturn this plastic bag ban in the City of West Hollywood.
- Integrated Handles for Carrying: Many plastic bags feature built-in loops or handles that are easier to grip or hook over wrists and mobility aid handles. In contrast, some paper bags lack handles entirely, requiring a “pincer” grip or two-handed carrying method that may be impossible for those with limited dexterity or motor control.
- Weather Resistance and Durability: Plastic is waterproof and maintains its integrity in rain or snow. Paper bags often lose structural strength and tear when they become wet, which can cause them to fail unexpectedly—a major risk for individuals who cannot easily pick up dropped items.
- Lightweight and Pliable Material: Plastic bags are significantly lighter and more flexible than paper. This makes them easier to store and transport, especially for people who rely on public transit or have limited lifting capacity.
- Ease of Opening: Standard plastic bags are often easier to pull apart and open from a rack. Paper bags can be stiff and difficult to manipulate, posing a challenge for those with hand tremors or muscle weakness.
- Independence and Versatility: For many disabled individuals, single-use plastic items are essential for maintaining independence. Plastic bags are frequently reused at home as trash liners or for managing medical waste, which provides additional utility that paper bags cannot easily match.
- Economic Accessibility: Plastic bags are typically cheaper than paper or reusable alternatives. Given that people with disabilities often face higher living costs, the extra fees associated with paper or reusable bag mandates can create a disproportionate financial burden.
Contact council members, the city manager, and the city attorney to voice your concern:
City Manager:
City Attorney:
-Jerome Cleary
West Hollywood
This is the dumbest article ever. Just bring your own bag.
The ban is another dumb idea like the plastic straw debacle. I think grocery stores should sell these same durable one time use plastic bags with the candy before checkout.
The City has periodically distributed free shopping bags made from recyclable materials which are way better than plastic bags. Maybe you can suggest that our Disabilities Advisory Board take on that project.
Jerome seems poised to once again run for City Council, and this is going to be his defining issue.
Someone who thinks the California plastic bag ban was implemented by West Hollywood is running for City Council? How is this possible?
The ban is not from West Hollywood. Do your research before you write an entire OpEd about it. Not a smart look for you. Bring your own bag.
Reuse. Recycle. Been using the same grocery bag for years now. Discrimination?
This is ridiculous! Reusable bags are the answer, not plastic bags. They’re a couple dollars. They’re probably living off government money anyway, so buy them a bag or two. Problem solved.
The whole point of the ban is to encourage us to bring our own bags to the store. Could that not apply here?
Canvas bags work great. They have handles, are sturdy, easy to open, use, and hang on a handles.
Whassa matta you? Maybe $5 and they last forever. Mine has been in use for decades.
I remember (17 years ago) walking across town to shop at pavilions and on my return walk (around St Felix) being approached by some college age kid with a clipboard who wanted to a) get money for heal the bay or some other dopey green charity, and, b) criticize my having groceries in plastic bags – the irony of his driving across the county in an ICE gas powered motor car to get to this high and mighty spot was lost on him
Beginning Jan 1, 2026 ALL of California will ban plastic bags. Just an FYI. https://calrecycle.ca.gov/plastics/carryoutbags/
Isn’t this a CA law rather than WeHo? Local government has no control on this. They can only be stricter…