Dallas City Council approved an "environmental fee" during a meeting last night, meaning local customers will pay five cents per disposable bag, both paper and plastic.  

In an 8-6 vote, the council sided with member Dwaine Caraway, who has been leading the discussion about a "plastic ban." The new charge will take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2015.  

Disposable bags have been banned entirely at city buildings and city-sponsored events. Retailers who offer single-use bags must register with the city and are allowed to keep 10 percent of the fee. 

The environmental fee is part of a larger effort to ease the litter problem in Dallas. Caraway said, "Folks need to understand that these are single-use carryout bags. These are simply those thin, flimsy bags that take flight and that are undesirable and bad for the environment." 

Exemptions from the fee include take-home bags from restaurants and bags for carrying produce. Recyclable sacks used by pharmacies will also avoid the fee. 

Several council members, notably Sheffie Kadane and Rick Callahan, and most retailers opposed the ban, deeming it "anti-business." They push for more efficiency and consistency from the city, as Dallas currently spends $4 million a year to pick up trash.