Court Upholds San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban

Judge accepts that ban can only help environment

In the latest legal setback for plastic-bag makers, a state appeals court has issued a ruling upholding San Francisco's ban on single-use plastic bags as a precedent for future cases.

The ordinance, which the Board of Supervisors passed in February 2012, applies to all retail stores and groceries, expanding a narrower 2007 law that covered supermarkets and pharmacies.

It prohibits plastic bags that can be used only once and requires the stores to charge 10 cents for recyclable plastic or paper bags. It took effect for most stores in October 2012 and for groceries in July 2013.