The Quality of Life Committee on Monday held the first of many briefings on Dallas’ proposed plastic bag ban, so don’t expect to see action on it any time soon.

Councilman Dwaine Caraway, who chairs the committee, has been hounding the council for months on eliminating the bags that, he says, account for much of the litter in our parks, lakes and creeks, including White Rock Lake, which dedicated volunteers have tried to eradicate over the year.

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But retailers say such an ordinance would cost the city revenue and jobs.

Audience members at Monday’s briefing, including industry representatives, mostly opposed the ban, reports Rudolph Bush at the Dallas Morning News.

The committee discussed how similar ordinances have worked in other cities and looked at surveys from local retailers on whether they’d voluntarily reduce the use of plastic bags. They also examined how some grocers, such as Trader Joe’s and Aldi, already impose limits while promoting canvas bags.

The next steps toward a vote involve a year-long litter proliferation study to begin in the fall to see just how big of a problem plastic bags are.

The proposed ordinance would ban all single-use bags, which also includes paper. Alternatives could be enacting a fee at grocery store check-out lines or simply promoting reusable bags through an educational campaign.