China Tongcheng Tianbai Plastic Co.,Ltd.

Joining a growing list of U.S. cities, Telluride became the first town in Colorado this week to ban plastic shopping bags.

Its town council, on a 5-2 vote, approved a new law that prohibits grocers and other retailers from distributing most types of disposable plastic bags to customers beginning in March 1, 2011. Some bags are exempt, such as those used within a store for meat, vegetables, bulk items, prescription drugs, newspapers and other items.

"We hope it allows people that live within the region, and people that visit the region, to realize the importance of taking every step possible in order to lower your carbon footprint," said Mayor Stu Fraser, according to The Watch, a local media company.

More U.S. cities and territories are outlawing or taxing plastic shopping bags despite an Aug. 31 legislative defeat of a statewide ban in California. Bans take effect in January in Brownsville, Texas, and Hawaii's Kauai and Maui counties. Another follows in February in American. They join others already in effect in San Francisco, other California cities -- Malibu, Fairfax and Palo Alto — as well as North Carolina's Outer Banks; Westport, Conn.; Bethel, Alaska; and Edmonds, Wash. In January, Washington, D.C., began charging a nickel for each disposable grocery bag.