San Francisco's Board of Supervisors is likely to pass an ordinance that would require all large grocers and pharmacies to ban plastic bags. San Francisco would be the first city in the country to require that biodegradable or recyclable bags be used in retail food outlets.

While this may seem like an extreme move, there are alternatives including obviously paper, and also biodegradable plastics from companies such as Diamant Film. The company says its "Totally Degradable Plastic Additive (TDPA)" product biodegrades to carbon dioxide, water and biomass.

Eliminating plastic not only will reduce the size of landfills, but also reduce petroleum use since it is a vital component of many plastics.