Wire Reports, The Associated Press
2008-01-30 21:42:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

OAKLAND -

Bag manufacturers and recyclers suing to overturn Oakland's plastic grocery bag ban say the city's ordinance will actually hurt the environment.

A lawyer representing the Coalition to Support Plastic Bag Recycling told an Alameda County Superior Court judge on Tuesday that the ban will lead to an increased use of paper bags, which could have its own negative environmental consequences.

Kevin Siegel, a lawyer for the city, countered that the ban could just as likely lead to an increase in reusable bags.

The coalition is arguing that the city should be forced to scrap the ban because officials did not prepare a report detailing the measure's environmental impact before passing it in July.