Dive summary:

• A study done by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) found that Los Angeles County retailers who adopted the bag ban in July of last year experienced a 10% reduction in employment and a 6% drop in revenue in the first year of the ban.
• While business of stores incorporating the bag ban decreased, stores in areas just outside the ban areas experienced a sales increase of 9% eliminating the possibility that the drop in business was due to a faltering economy.
• The study also looks at the alternative use of paper bags but notes they require three times much total energy to produce, amount to five times as much landfill waste and produce higher amounts of green house gases.

From the article:

Plastic bag bans for retailers may lead to drops in sales and employment, a new study by the U.S. National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) has found.

According to the study, the Los Angeles County retailers affected by the July 2011 bag ban experienced a 10 per cent reduction in employment and a six per cent drop in revenue over the first year of the ban. ...