A plastic ban in Laguna Beach, Calif. prohibiting single-use plastic food packaging and cutlery takes effect July 15. The ban was unanimously approved by city council in March as part of its Neighborhood and Environmental Protection Plan, intended to help mitigate visitor impacts on the city. Single-use plastic food ware items will be prohibited from all Laguna Beach trails, parks, and beaches. Food and drink vendors will be forbidden from distributing single-use, takeaway plastic or polystyrene food packaging items, which includes bioplastics. The ban includes the use of plastic beverage straws, plastic stirrers, plastic cutlery, and plastic take-out bags. “The city has a good track record in working with local restaurants and businesses to implement previous programs to eliminate pollution, such as single-use plastic grocery bags,” Laguna Beach spokesperson Cassie Walder told The Epoch Times. “Staff has contacted majority of our local establishments and they understand the value of maintaining a clean …