Famous Death Row Last Meals
Debunking Beer Can Chicken: A Waste Of Good Beer, And Dangerous
Photo: AlishaV, Flickr
Choosing not to bring a reusable bag to the grocery store might cost you in the near future. Lawmakers in Connecticut have proposed a bill that would charge 5 cents for plastic or paper bag use, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Plastic bags are already taxed in D.C., and Oregon has similar legislation in the works.
The 5-cent fee proposed by Connecticut lawmakers would be used for municipal recycling efforts, reports the Associated Press, but it also serves as a deterrent. Now that resuable totes are easy to come by (most grocery stores have them for sale), environmentalists want plastics done away with.
California, which often leads the country when it comes to earth-friendly initiatives, attempted a total ban on plastic bags last year but the state's senate ultimately voted down the bill, saying it conflicted with freedom of choice. Washington, D.C. didn't see it that way: The district's 5-cent fee went into effect last January. Similar proposals in Virginia and Maryland have been unsuccessful, but proponants vow to reintroduce them next year, reports the Washington Post. Oregon, too, is considering a ban.
Individual cities, such as San Francisco and San Jose, have been successful in outlawing plastic bags, and some stores, including Whole Foods Market, have decided to eliminate them on their own. Many consumers have already made the shift, but for those who haven't, would a fee turn you into a tote-bearer?
Amy Adams' Bikini Body Isn't What You'd Expect ...
St. Louis Sports Bar Gives Man Receipt Criticizing His Child
Helen Lost 82 Pounds: 'Helping Others Is What Life Is All About'
'Undercover Boss': Top 4 Moments From Season 4 [VIDEO]
Las Vegas Court Officials Accused Of Covering Up Sex Assault [VIDEO]
41 Busted In Child Sex Sting
Groomers Lose Dog, Claim Not Responsible
Male Judge Sets Dress Code For Female Lawyers And Sparks Uproar
PHOTO: Brazilian Officer Pepper-Sprays Female Protester In The Face
'Lone Ranger' Star Johnny Depp Opens Up About Split From Vanessa Paradis
The Story Behind Shapewear: From Girdles to Spanx
Michael Hastings Dead At 33
'Grease' Cast: Where Are They Now?
Walmart vs. Costco: How Do They Really Compare?
WATCH: Porn Star Says My Dad's Angry I Ruined Porn For Him
Careless Chinese Baggage Handler Really Throws Himself Into His Work
LOOK: Teen Was 'Shamed' By TSA Officer For This Outfit
Khloe's Workout Photos Are Pretty Alarming
Outrage Over Class Photo: 'Adults Should Know Better'
Axl Rose Doesn't Look Like This Anymore ...
WATCH: The Amazing Moment A Trapped Fox Approaches Men For Help
7 Beautiful Actresses Who Were Told They Weren't Pretty Enough
Couple Finds Ancient Skeleton In Backyard, May Have To Foot $5,000 Excavation Bill
Inside Kim Kardashian's Pregnancy Nightmare
First Photo Of Channing Tatum's Baby Girl
PHOTOS: Michelle Obama's Bangs Spark A Major Backlash
Investigation Underway After Throat-Grab Photos Surface
EPIC FAIL
LOOK: The Mystery That's Stumped Feds For DECADES
14-Year-Old Faces Jail After Wearing Pro-Gun Shirt To School
And Miss USA Is...
Helen's Secret Surgery
2-08-2011 @2:23AM m. Sakas said... Lest we forget, or all the under 30's never new, the switch TO PLASTIC was at the behest of do-gooders, whom wanted to save the trees.. So now we are switchng back at the behest of the same damn do-gooders.. Can you people find something else to do in your spare time, which you obviously have way too much of...
Reply
2-08-2011 @9:38AM CHuck said... Oh, we're not switching back. That would make too much sense. If they'd give you a CHOICE, I'd bet real money that most people wouidl FAR rather have good old paper bags bag. Biodegradable and renewable. But no, once again it's "Do it our way, or pay us not to." Whatever happened to "of the people, by the people, for the people"? Now it's all TO the people.
2-08-2011 @8:33AM Chad said... The switch isn't back to disposable paper bags, it's to reusable cloth bags. Big difference.
Reply
2-08-2011 @12:56PM Patrick R said... Exactly... What Chad said.
2-10-2011 @1:07PM Scott said... I have heard that the "cloth" bags from China are made with toxic inks and dyes? May not be to good to use. Probably lead content like the toy debacle.
2-08-2011 @9:03AM LinC said... This idea will backfire. If I go to the store and only have two reusable bags, I'm only going to buy that many groceries. I won't impulse buy anything, thus cutting down on the store's profits. And I'll bet the people who live on the edges of Connecticut will start shopping in adjoining states.
Reply
2-08-2011 @1:09PM Kim said... Those arguments have been used every time a new municipality tries to implement a similar law, but it's been proven that people neither buy less nor shop elsewhere. In D.C., for example, there has been no decrease in the amount of groceries, etc. people buy.
2-10-2011 @1:49PM sherrie said... People in Europe seem to manage. The stores there often provide no bags. I think you'd get the hang of it...:)
2-08-2011 @9:35AM Gillian said... We've had this for a few years where I live (Ontario) and I actually prefer it. Reusuable bags are generally a lot sturdier and preferable for carrying groceries in. Around here, enough "mall" stores give away reusable bags that I don't need to worry about buying new ones. Worst-case, I don't have a bag and I pay 5 cents for one. Now that they're 5 cents, grocery bags are much better quality than the flimsy ones I used to get for free.
Reply
2-10-2011 @7:02AM Lucind said... I would rather use the store's re-usable bags, if they were 5 cents. But their not in Vermont. There in the range of $ 1.50 to almost $2.00. That's a little much for seniors that are on fixed incomes
2-08-2011 @11:57AM Anastasia Ensminger said... I have several reusable shopping bags in my car. However, with a family of 5, I often buy more groceries than will fit in them. I don't think a fee would stop me. It feels kind of crazy (although I do it) to walk into a grocery store with 6 reusable bags. It also seems to slow down the baggers, if they haven't already started bagging your items in plastic anyway.
That said, every time I shop in a pharmacy or for only a few items, I ALWAYS use my reusable shopping bag (I even have a CVS bag tag).
But what about those plastic bags? Well, I reuse them for everything from bathroom wastebaskets to scooping kitty box waste. Yes, they still ultimately get thrown away, but what is the alternative? To waste a full size trash bag?
Reply
2-10-2011 @8:58AM Linda said... I use my plastic grocery bags the same way you do - kitty litter and trash liners for small trash containers. I like using the reusable bags, but almost every one that I've bought, and we pay an average of $1.00 for them, tears very quickly. At that rate paying 5 cents per bag would be cheaper! I think I'd get a lot more use from the old-fashioned paper bags. We shop at different stores, so we have bags from several. I have yet to get one that lasts long enough to be worth the dollar. Otherwise I'd ALWAYS use reusable bags.
2-08-2011 @3:27PM Emmett said... This works really well here in D.C. People buy plenty of food. Who is going to not buy food they want just to save five cents? Especially because so far here, the stores give a nickel for using reusable bags. So, if you go to the store and are short one bag but brought others, you still don't lose any money. This gets to the fundamental reason this works: human psychology. We do not change our behavior if we are getting a benefit, because it feels like a bonus, we will however change our behavior to avoid paying something.
Putting a fee on throwaway bags (both paper and plastic) is the best way to do this because it nearly eliminates all plastic bag use, but doesn't increase deforestation (and increased carbon emissions) from using paper bags, it allows people some flexibility if you forget your bag, and it brings a small amount of money into the government coffers without having a significant impact on our wallets.
Reply
2-10-2011 @7:23AM Larry said... To Emmett: I agree with your comments to some extent, but what about the states that have totally banned the used of plastic and paper bags?
People don't have the option to pay the 5 cents.
The article is remiss in not addressing this, but I'd bet those states still allow the sale of plastic wastebasket liners and huge black plastic garbage bags.
So, people who now use the plastic grcery bags for wastebasket liners are buying larger plastic trash bags.
How much has been gained?
2-10-2011 @9:37AM Bud said... Deforestation? Oh, please. Paper companies harvest trees that are specifically planted for the purpose of being turned into paper. TREES ARE A RENEWABLE RESOURCE, and I thought the greenies were are for renewable stuff. Increased carbon emissions? Breathing increases carbon emissions, so we'd all be better off if all the greenies would just STOP BREATHING.
2-10-2011 @7:40PM Emmett said... Larry: No state that I am aware of has banned both paper and plastic. Some places have banned plastic only, hence my discussion about the issues with paper.
Your point about having to buy plastic bags assumes that people were using all of the plastic bags that they use. Back when I lived in an area that didn't have the bag fee, I would try to bring my reusable bags, I resued the plastic ones in both my wastebaskets and for picking up after my dog and I was STILL filling up the area under my sink with plastic bags. I find it hard to believe that people use every single bag. Maybe you do, but I assure you that almost no one else does.
So to directly answer your question, a lot has been gained. We will get enough bags from either forgetting to bring enough bags or we buy them at a much lower rate. The amount of plastic isn't that much more, if any, considering how much more trash you get in the bag.
Bud: I may be lending your comment more credibility than it deserves but the fact that someone planted a tree because they wanted to cut it down later doesn't change the fact that it's deforestation. Also, those types of forests are not nearly as biologically diverse as those that are allowed to have a variety of trees, not just a bunch of trees the same age.
2-09-2011 @6:12AM stephen said... Really? The US still has free plastic bags?! Here in Denmark we mostly use cloth/nylon and if we need to buy an extra bag they are not the flimsy use-once-and-throw-away kind, thay are actually quite durable - and cost approximately 36 US cents per bag.
Reply
2-09-2011 @9:26AM Regina said... I can't wait until some new study comes out and says that cloth bags are bad for the environment. Have fun getting salmonilla from your dirty cloth bags. I insist on evil PLASTIC.
Reply
2-10-2011 @7:05AM Tom said... To Regina: Your comment about getting food poisoning is legitimate.
Studies have shown that produce, meats, and fish can contaminate the reusable cloth bags.
The "experts" recommend that any reusable bag that contained such things be turned inside out and be washed after each use.
Bags used for dry goods and canned foods do not require cleaning on that frequency unless a jar or bottle leaked.
2-10-2011 @12:17PM Dasha said... Ever hear of washing?? I use one particular cloth bag for just meats.. and others for regular groceries and another for non food items.. It is not that difficult.. And they wash well..