US Plastic Bag Reduction Act introduced

Introduced on April 22nd by US Rep Jim Moran, the act imposes a five cent tax on all single use carrier and other plastic bags from supermarkets, convenience stores, takeout bags, and all other retail bags.

If passed, the five cent tax on plastic bags would increase to 25 cents in 2015, making an average trip to the supermarket cost a dollar more on each occasion if plastic bags are used.

http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2009/04/29/us-move-to-tax-plastic-bags-out-of-existence/


JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

25 cent plastic bag tax proposed in California

Assemblywoman Julie Brownley of Santa Monica is the author of the bill that's designed to reduce plastic bag litter. The bill proposes charging shoppers 25 cents for every plastic and paper bag they get from the grocery and drug store.

http://www.wbir.com/money/story.aspx?storyid=84591&catid=92


JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

South Australia will enforce a ban on plastic bags

On Monday May 4, South Australia will enforce a ban on plastic bags on grocery stores, saving 400 million bags.

Target has confirmed it will also ban plastic shopping bags in its Australian shops next month, saving an estimated 100 million bags a year.

http://www.watoday.com.au/national/target-bans-plastic-bags-next-month-20090430-aoyb.html

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Shoppers Using Reusable Bags 3 Times More

Grocery store chain Whole Foods, the first in the U.S. to eliminate plastic grocery bags, has seen the use of reusable shopping bags triple in the last year, Counselor reports. Whole foods did away with plastic bags in April 2008, and many other stores have done the same or begun offering credits for returned plastic bags or for brining in reusable bags.

http://www.corporatelogo.com/hotnews/shoppers-reusable-bags.html

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Elephants don't forget their bags

The Scottish Government is spending £466,000 on an advertising campaign to encourage people to reuse plastic bags. The advertisements on TV, radio and billboards use the image of an elephant to underline the "Don't forget" message.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Shoppers-are-urged-to-get.5064414.jp

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Texas bill to charge a 7 cent bag tax

The Texas Legislature is considering a bill that mirrors efforts in cities across the state and nation to reduce the use of plastic bags or charge for their use. Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, thinks a 7-cent tax on plastic bags in Texas could be part of the solution to ending use of the ubiquitous and environmentally unfriendly sacks. Under his bill, a small part of the 7 cents charged on each plastic bag would go back to the retailer while the rest would help cities run their recycling programs.

Virginia and Maryland also are debating similar fees for plastic bags and so are cities such as Seattle, Washington and New York. More than a dozen other cities have passed or are debating bans on plastic bags.
http://www.planetizen.com/node/37681

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Schlumpy

Bag company, Blue Avocado, created a big ball of plastic bags and rolled it around various cities to raise awareness of the million plastic shopping bags Americans use each year. The video can be found at http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/13/help-schlumpy-get-1-billion-plastic-bags-off-of-the-street/#more-4295

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Reduce plastic bag consumption in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Food Association and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection signed an agreement 3/12/2009 committing to reducing the number of disposable plastic and paper grocery bags distributed in the state by a third in the next five years.

http://www.milforddailynews.com/state/x1676802437/Using-plastic-bags-may-be-a-hard-habit-to-break

The hope is to cut the use of bags at supermarkets to 1 billion annually, from 1.5 billion, by 2013. According to the ACC, plastic bags use 70% less energy to make than paper bags and emit 50% less greenhouse gas during production.

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/acc/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=599AB3CD-D4C2-44E5-B0DF-D95FBB4567B2&copyid=2AE85B23-A8BF-44EC-9B64-F2EFEED43705

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Plastic bag ban in Dehli

The plastic bag ban in Delhi went into effect Jan 9, 2009. Hotels, hospitals, retail stores, markets, restaurants, and liquor stores should comply or face the maximum penalty for using a banned plastic bag which is a a fine of Rs.100,000 or a five-year prison term. A complaint from some merchants has been the lack of other affordable bag options. Bring your own!

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/traders-campaigners-welcome-ban-on-plastic-bags-in-delhi_100143163.html

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com

Biodegradable bags

One solution to the plastic bag dilemma is to have biodegradable plastic bags, which sounds great, but the Telegraph journal reported today that they only degrade with oxygen, which most landfills do not get much of because they get covered. Biodegradable is not the same as compostable, which break down from being eaten by micro-organisms. Recycling is also not an option for biodegradable bags because products made from the recycled material will break down due to a chemical additive.

Confused? Just bring your own bag and save the worry!

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/541771

JP Monkey
www.jpmonkey.com