The group Environment Washington is praising the Mukilteo City Council for its vote Monday night to ban plastic grocery bags.

The group says it should reduce pollution and help prevent bags from ending up in the belly of a whale, like one found dead last year at West Seattle.

The Mukilteo bag ban goes into effect in 2013 and is similar to ones approved in Edmonds and Bellingham.

There are exceptions for restaurant take-out food, plastic bags used in stores for meat, bulk food and vegetables.