While elected officials still grapple with the legalities surrounding a ban on plastic shopping bags, some local communities are taking matters into their own hands.

Cities and retailers participated yesterday in the fourth annual Heal the Bay “A Day Without A Bag” giveaway, dispensing thousands of reusable bags throughout the county.

The goal of the event was to clean up neighborhoods, protect the environment and promote the use of non-disposable bags, said Meredith McCarthy director of programs for Heal the Bay, a nonprofit environmental group working to restore Santa Monica Bay.

California municipalities reportedly spend nearly $25 million each year to collect and dispose of plastic bags. Only a small percentage of the bags are recycled.

The trend to eliminate singleuse plastic bags at retail stores picked up momentum in 2010.

In November, Los Angeles County supervisors banned plastic bags at grocery stores and other retail shops in the unincorporated areas. Customers will no longer have plastic bags as an option, and those who don’t bring their own reusable bags will have to buy paper bags at a cost of 10 cents each.

Large stores have until July 1, 2011 to comply. The deadline for smaller stores is Jan. 1, 2012. To prevent contamination, the ordinance doesn’t ban small plastic bags used for fruit, vegetables and raw meats. The law only affects businesses in unincorporated Los Angeles County, which has about 10 percent of the county’s populations.

“Hopefully people will people adopt a habit of always shopping with reusable bags,” said Joel Bellman, spokesperson for Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

It’s hoped that all 88 cities in the county will adopt their own plastic bag ordinances, Bellman said.

Statewide effort stalled

Legislation for a statewide ban on carry-out plastic bags failed earlier this year, but Assemblymember Julia Brownley, the law’s sponsor, said she hasn’t given up her fight.

“I am working with cities and counties across the state as they consider passing ordinances modeled after the bill I introduced this year, AB 1998,” Brownley said. “I will seriously consider introducing legislation again to significantly reduce plastic bag pollution when lawmakers can no longer ignore the public’s demand for more sustainable communities.”

Working with the grocery industry, the state came close to passing the bill but, according to Calabasas City Councilmember Mary Sue Maurer, “It was killed by the plastic industry.”

‘Too lazy’

Moorpark Councilmember Keith Millhouse, who proposed a ban in his city two years ago, said he’s disappointed with the state legislature’s indecision.

“Once again Sacramento has shown they’re incapable of taking any action,” Millhouse said. “We have to recognize that we live in a society with limited resources. It is a bit more work for people to take reusable bags, but our generation owes it to the next generation.”

Millhouse said officials in his city are waiting to see what the state does next. They’re also keeping an eye on litigation involving a plastic bag ban in Manhattan Beach.

“This is not going to get done on its own, so government needs to provide a little push. I don’t think our future generation should suffer because we’re too lazy to bring recyclable bags,” Millhouse said.

At a meeting last week, Calabasas leaders considered options to discourage the use of carry-out plastic bags in their city.

In 2007, Calabasas officials passed an ordinance to forbid retail food establishments, nonprofit food providers and city facilities from using food packaging materials made of Styrofoam. But officials hesitated to ban plastic bags, citing concerns about litigation and the economic impact that ban would have on retailers.