Long Beach to kick off 5-cent bag fee on Earth Day

Long Beach will enact its 5-cent plastic bag fee starting Saturday in conjunction with Earth Day.
City Council members approved the bag fee last year for all plastic bags sold in the city to encourage residents to use reusable bags.

The city was exempt from a state ruling prohibiting plastic bag fees that only applied to New York City and cities with populations

Businesses will now charge an extra nickel for each plastic bag, with revenue returning to the businesses to recoup the cost of plastic bags or purchasing reusable cloth bags.

City organizers will give away free, reusable bags to those with proof of residency at Earth Day festivities at Kennedy Plaza in front of City Hall starting Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.