Council to take vote on plastic bags

AUSTIN (KXAN) - It's a big day at Austin City Hall. One of the issues City Council could decide Thursday is whether or not to ban plastic bags in the city.

Austin City Council holds a public hearing on Thursday at 4 p.m. before taking a final vote.

It's the last chance for the community to give input on the matter, but activists say they have been pushing for this ban on plastic and paper bags for the past decade.

Thursday morning outside City Hall the group "Texas Campaign for the Environment" held a demonstration with what they call "bag monsters."

They said that both plastic and paper are harmful to the environment. They said products that are produced from recycled plastic bags still do not biodegrade and are not a friend to the environment.

If this ordinance passes it would mean starting in January 2013, shoppers will be charged 10 cents per bag or $1 per transaction if they need a bag from the store.

That would last a year to allow for a smooth transition to a complete ban, one that activists say needs to happen.