Washington slaps fee on plastic shopping bags

[Arrogance]

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php...show_article=1 (Through Drudgereport)

Residents of the US capital may have to dig a little deeper into their pockets when they go grocery shopping once the city slaps a five-cent levy on each plastic bag issued at the checkout line.

The measure, which takes effect on January 1, 2010 and is the first such initiative in the United States, seeks to make consumers bear the brunt of clean up costs for the bags which currently are dispensed for free with a customer's purchases.

Plastic bags, while popular with shoppers, often end up clinging to tree branches, tangled in power lines, polluting rivers and clogging up storm drains.
"I signed this law in July to cut down on the disposable bags that foul our waterways," said Mayor Adrian Fenty in a statement last month, saying that one particularly urban waterway, the city's Anacostia River, has been particularly befouled by the plastic shopping bags.

"Our research shows that plastic bags are a major component of the trash in the Anacostia River," said Maureen McGowan, interim director of the city's environment department.
"By taking disposable bags out of production and out of the waste stream, everyone who goes to the store can help keep the waters clean," McGowan said.

And Fenty noted that part of the money collected will be spent toward cleanup of the Anacostia.
"We want everyone to know that you can save the river, and five cents, if you bring your own reusable bag to the store instead," the mayor said.
Under the new law, city businesses that sell food or alcohol must charge customers five cents for every disposable paper or plastic carryout bag. The law also requires that these bags be recyclable and carry a message encouraging recycling."

To prepare for the change, the city government has distributed some 122,000 reusable shopping bags to elderly and low-income residents who complain that their limited spending power will be further hampered by the levy.

The measure is opposed by the American Chemistry Council, which says standard issue plastic bags already are reusable and work just fine.
"Most major grocery and retail chains currently offer programs that allow shoppers to bring back plastic bags and all sorts of product wraps for recycling," the group said in a statement earlier this year in which it called the new levy "misguided and unnecessary."



Future trend in other states??

[DomainsInc]

Pretty much all of the major grocery stores here already charge 5 cents per bag and have been doing so since early 09.

[stock_post]

I know the issues with plastic bags, I support that move.
-- prefer something like plastic bottles where if you return you will get credit.

so, kids will learn to save the bags and return them.

[south]

My wife brought some reusable bags from France with her, and has been using them for years. When she went to Publix (major grocery chain) they used to look at her like she was crazy.

Now they sell similar bags themselves.

[stewie]

been here for awhile... not sure 5cents a bag is making a difference. Make it .25cents or more and watch them move to reusables... same thing with wine bottles or beer bottles make the deposit more and you have a better chance of people getting on board. if they go along with the program the cost is the same since they return the bags or bottles and cost is zero... if they don't then they are the problem and they are being made to pay. 5 cents is not enough to make the majority move. JMO

[DomainsInc]

been here for awhile... not sure 5cents a bag is making a difference. Make it .25cents or more and watch them move to reusables... same thing with wine bottles or beer bottles make the deposit more and you have a better chance of people getting on board. if they go along with the program the cost is the same since they return the bags or bottles and cost is zero... if they don't then they are the problem and they are being made to pay. 5 cents is not enough to make the majority move. JMO

the main problem for me is forgetting to bring them.

[Anthony Ng]

Join the club. From what I see, people in Toronto (yes, Canada) are getting quite used to bringing their own bags (incl. myself). But if you ask me, retailers should NOT be allowed to offer plastic bags for sale AT ALL (for whatever price).

[Donald Aquilano]

Washington has no business slapping a fee on plastic bags just because some idiot can't find a trash can to put them in. If there allowed to do this then they will slap a fee on for every piece of trash they find. I mean what's next fast food wrappers, straws, drink cups, napkins etc....This has more to do with finding a new revenue source than cleaning up the environment. Sometimes I believe Government's sole job is to create new taxes.

[amplify]

It's 3 yen for a plastic bag in Japan at supermarkets. They're free at convience stores though.

Washington has no business slapping a fee on plastic bags just because some idiot can't find a trash can to put them in. If there allowed to do this then they will slap a fee on for every piece of trash they find. I mean what's next fast food wrappers, straws, drink cups, napkins etc....This has more to do with finding a new revenue source than cleaning up the environment. Sometimes I believe Government's sole job is to create new taxes.

Haha, nice point. I was shocked to find that there is a 500 yen ($5) "registration fee" when purchasing a new bicycle here. I suppose every government does the same.

[Anthony Ng]

Sometimes I believe Government's sole job is to create new taxes.

You are almost there. The Government's (or more accurately the state's) jobs in a Capitalistic society are accumulation (of wealth) and legitimation (of such exploitation). And on an operational level, *ANY* organization's (incl. those so-called non-profit organizations) day job is to maximize profit.

[DomainsInc]

Washington has no business slapping a fee on plastic bags just because some idiot can't find a trash can to put them in. If there allowed to do this then they will slap a fee on for every piece of trash they find. I mean what's next fast food wrappers, straws, drink cups, napkins etc....This has more to do with finding a new revenue source than cleaning up the environment. Sometimes I believe Government's sole job is to create new taxes.

its not about not putting plastic bags in the trash...they are supposed to be recycled. i don't think they should be able to charge a fee (i wonder how much extra money the grocery stores are making here due to it as there are no laws just the stores doing it themselves). The only major store that doesn't seem to be doing it is walmart. They are just not necessary if people do their part and bring their own bags. Its a bit of a hassle but as someone who has a whole closet full of plastic bags I can only imagine how quickly they can add up in landfills around the world.

[Acro]

Too little, too late.

For decades, the average consumer was told plastic is the new era gold. For the sake of convenience we were lied to by corporations that created plastics as the new lifestyle. Millions of humans died from cancer created by the interaction of plastics with our food chain or body.

Now, the same corporations in the form of government entities want us to pay for their long term commitment to "progress" and convenience.

The answer is simple: boycott the stores that package the items in a manner that cannot be recycled. Boycott the industry of plastics and keep in mind plastics are mainly byproducts of oil - another "convenience" of the 20th century.

[Raider]

Too little, too late.

For decades, the average consumer was told plastic is the new era gold. For the sake of convenience we were lied to by corporations that created plastics as the new lifestyle. Millions of humans died from cancer created by the interaction of plastics with our food chain or body.

Now, the same corporations in the form of government entities want us to pay for their long term commitment to "progress" and convenience.

The answer is simple: boycott the stores that package the items in a manner that cannot be recycled. Boycott the industry of plastics and keep in mind plastics are mainly byproducts of oil - another "convenience" of the 20th century.

My feelings exactly...

But correct me if I'm wrong here, wasn't it the tree hugging environmental nut jobs who pushed us to change from paper to plastic in the first place?

I say bring BACK paper bags.