HILO >> Mayor Bill Kenoi has signed a bill joining Hawaii island with two other counties in Hawaii that ban giving out plastic bags at stores. 

Kenoi signed the bag-reduction bill Tuesday, which goes into effect in a year. After that, businesses can sell plastic bags for another year.  Maui and Kauai counties have had similar bans for about a year.

Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the mayor is in Washington, D.C. for a conference and that the acting mayor says Kenoi got many calls asking him to veto it.

Retail Merchants of Hawaii President Carol Pregill tells West Hawaii Today having different counties across the state with varying bag ordinances adds to the cost of doing business, which ultimately get passed on to the consumer.