Seattle Throws Down the Gauntlet to Combat Plastic Bags

Image: scottwyden

Everyone knows that plastic bags suck for the environment. When you go the the grocery store they use and unecessary amount and then they end up floating around on the street, collecting in a closet, or holding little bits of trash together in a landfill somewhere.

However, they’re such a big part of our culture that any attempt to ban them or tax them is usually swept under the rug or laughed out of the room. Dublin did this a few years ago and it was big news, but no one followed in their footsteps, until now.

For 2009, even with opposition, Seattle has a plan to tax the use of plastic bags 20 cents each. Some say this isn’t enough (a ban would be better) and others say it’s too much (poor people will suffer), but in the end, I think it’s a good thing. It may not be a ban, but it will be a tax that’s high enough to affect real change in the way consumers view shopping.

We’ll see if it happens. What do you think?

Source: Greendaily

If you liked this post, please sign up for our RSS Feed to get updates.