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Despite some silly grumblings, the recent implementation of a 5 cent fee for plastic bags appears to be achieving its intended effect of reducing plastic bag waste. My evidence? Well, this falls somewhere between anecdote and solid data, but today I was at my favorite downtown lunch spot, Spice Express, where every takeout transaction ends with the question you like a bag for that? The guy behind me in line asked the owner whether the rule had affected customers decisions to get the bag or not. The owner replied that in the 2 weeks since the bag fee went into effect, he had distributed fewer bags than he used to distribute over the course of 1 week.
There could be conflating factors, of course (holidays, no recent rain, etc). But it seems like a drop of more than 50% is a pretty good indicator that many people are changing their behavior because of the fee. Personally,[url=http://www.nikefreerun.fr/]free run 5.0[/url], I never got the plastic bag for lunch takeout anyway,[url=http://www.nikeairmaxe.co.uk/]@#$%& air max thea[/url], since it easy enough to carry for a couple blocks. But I did find myself refusing a plastic CVS bag the other day when I bought a couple of bath items (I stowed them in my purse instead). Probably I have taken the bag if it weren for the fee.
I happy to pay 5 cents when I need a bag,[url=http://www.chiflatiron.in.net/]chi products[/url], particularly since a portion of the tax will go directly to cleaning up the Anacostia River. But the real beauty of the fee is that it makes me think about whether the plastic can be avoided for that particular transaction. Even those of us who generally try to be eco friendly need the reminder.
on January 14, 2010 at 6:46 am Shaun Farrell
need a bag, particularly since a portion of the tax will go directly to cleaning up the Anacostia River. DC Gov should put out how much money they are making from the Bag Fee. Be transparent about it and show how much of that money is actually being put towards the Anacostia River. I am more than happy to pay the fee if I don bring my bags and even more happier to get a credit when I bring my bag but I want to see the money being used for what it is supposed to be used for. I don want to see this money going towards anything other than the river.
on January 14, 2010 at 2:52 pm David
To all those of you lauding this further taxation (aka destruction of wealth, since we all know that government will waste a significant portion of the money collected from this tax) ask yourself this: By what principle of morality and justice is it ok for the government to tell a retailer may not give away your property for free? you want to give a loved one $100 for Christmas. Its your money. You earned it at whatever job it is you work. Would you be ok with the government forcibly confiscating 5 of those $100? This tax is the same thing. Its garbage.
on January 15, 2010 at 11:58 am Matt
Businesses never gave away bags for free. The cost of them were (and still are) included in the prices of their goods. This is just an easy excuse for an increase in tax revenues. While I can argue with the results because it certainly has made people use less plastic bags,[url=http://www.canadagoosejacketsoutlet.ca/]@#$%& outlet[/url], I just have to be skeptical that DC will spend the money as promised. Instead of enforcing new taxes on an already over taxed population, there should be a focus on more effective spending of current revenues and reducing city wide corruption.
on January 16, 2010 at 11:33 am Not Afraid To Use It
I have lived in places where charging for plastics bags was the norm. It was amazing how much you could pack into three plastic bags instead of the insane amount of bags you otherwise get at a grocery store for the same amount of items. That being said,[url=http://www.new--balance.fr/]new balance femme[/url], even though we live near DC I didn realize it was plastic bags across the board. I thought it was only grocery stores. I agree that I would love to see transparency and tracking for exactly where this money is going. If it goes where it is supposed to, great. But I, too, have my doubts. Done rambling now.
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Amelia,[url=http://www.pradaoutlet.in.net/]prada eyeglasses[/url], that great news,[url=http://www.michaelkorsoutlet.in.net/]michael kors purse[/url], and I hope the tax has a real effect on plastic bag use in the long term. For my part, I would be happy if stores would just train their cashiers to ask if you want a bag. I usually bring my own,[url=http://www.conversepascher.fr/]@#$%&[/url], or carry my purchase if it just a small item,[url=http://www.ralphlaurenoutlet-uk.co.uk/]@#$%& polo[/url], but at some stores here the staff are so eager to get your bag ready, I have to remember to tell them I don want one and sometimes they already bagged my stuff before I think of it.
To the commenters who are critical of this as just another tax increase, I think of it as a tax on the externalities that come from using plastic bags not as a tax on the bags themselves. The government has a long (and, I think, well justified) history of taxing things that are harmful to us: cigarettes, gas, etc. Plastic bags make a mess of the environment and cost a lot to clean up why shouldn we discourage their use?
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I pleased Washington,[url=http://www.polo-ralphlauren.it/]polo ralph[/url], DC finally instituted this policy. Many more people than before are bringing their own bags shopping here in Adams Morgan; in addition to what I witnessed, conversations I overheard between cashiers at the local Safeway support this. What I hoping for next is an increase in price per bag to somewhere between 10 and 25 cents, or shops simply not offering disposable bags. The latter is the policy of at least one supermarket chain in France, and last I checked, in 2006, when I lived in Paris and shopped at that particular chain quite often, it was doing perfectly well despite the fact that other nearby supermarkets did have disposable bags for sale. In other words,[url=http://www.sacburberry-pascher.fr/]sac burberry[/url], a shop needn wait for the government to level the playing field. Apparently,[url=http://www.canada--goose.co.uk/]@#$%& jackets[/url], why people make their purchases at one place instead of another isn entirely dependent on the availability of disposable bags. Are there any shops in DC willing to step up to this plate?

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