“Paper or plastic?” may be on its way out.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of an ordinance that would end the use of paper and plastic bags for carryout at retail stores in unincorporated areas in the county, the San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday.

Stanford, one such unincorporated area in the county, would be affected by the ban, which targets “single-use” bags and is in line with statewide efforts to introduce environment-friendly measures.

The vote will not have an immediate impact; pending an examination of the effect of similar initiatives in nearby areas, including San Jose, a final vote is set to be held in October.

Palo Alto and San Francisco have similar bans in place.

Opposition from plastic bag manufacturers and some retailers, as well as the results of an environmental report on the ban, could pose obstacles for the measure. It is expected that it would affect 52 retail businesses in the area.

– Eric Messinger