In many cities in California, it’s already impossible to opt for a plastic bag at checkout. And soon, California could be the first state to completely ban the bags. Why? “Plastic bags are used once or twice but can last up to a millennium.”

+ A New York co-op wants to ban plastic bags from every corner of its store. And, as Slate’s Miriam Krule explains: Ain’t No Meeting Like a Park Slope Food Co-op Meeting.