bag tax

Plastic bag bans have been the subject of much debate in America recently as a number of states have taken on the challenge of finding solutions to the growing, unsightly problem of plastic pollution. In a thought provoking article featured on the New York Times, correspondent Elizabeth Rosenthal discusses the controversy surrounding banning plastic bags in New York City. For many other cities, such as Seattle, San Francisco, and Dublin, a bag ban or tax was a simple new measure to adapt to. With barely a bag in sight, Rosenthal writes, life goes on.

An article from the BBC yesterday marked the beginning of Northern Ireland's new tax on plastic carrier bags, which has now officially come into effect. The tax mandates that retailers must charge 5 pence for each new, single-use carrier bag that is handed out in shops, and these funds are sent directly to the Department of the Environment. The Department hopes that the fee will discourage the use of plastic bags by 80%, but they have also applied the fee to paper and starch-based bags in an effort to promote the usage of reusable bags across the board. According to the article:

Louisiana may be the next state to join the plastic bag ban battle as Democratic representative Regina Barrow of Baton Rouge has proposed an amendment to the state constitution requiring a 5 cent charge on all single-use, disposable plastic bags. If successful in the legislature, House Bill 529 would then proceed to voters for a decision during the 2014 general elections in November. 

Despite the Hawaii-wide ban on plastic bags set to take effect in 2015, lawmakers are working on a temporary solution that they feel will save taxpayers and the environment from paying the price of plastic pollution. According to Mileka Lincoln of Hawaii News Now, lawmakers would like to introduce an intermediary bag tax in order to prevent the environment from suffering any further pollution. Lincoln writes:

House Bill 357 would require businesses to charge a dime for each single-use bag provided to customers at check-out.

In an article published by the Guardian today, Mike Barry, head of the sustainability efforts at UK supermarket chain Marks and Spencer, has criticised the UK government's weak stance on plastic bags, saying that the coalition has shifted its aims regarding green policy, and should institute a charge on plastic bags issued at shops. Barry helped launch Marks and Spencer's "Plan A" campaign, which has been an effort to be more mindful of the consumer's impacts on the environment. He insists that the government must work harder to promote sustainability, and

An article in the Peninsula Daily News this week announced that Port Townsend, Washington will be joining the growing ranks of towns in which plastic bags have been banned. According to contributor Charlie Bermant, plastic bags will be banned, and a 5 cent tax will be levied on all regular sized paper bags. The ban excludes plastic bags covering newspapers and dry cleaning, and the tax on paper bags excludes smaller bags for produce. These measures have been implemented to encourage shoppers to bring their own, reusable bags. Writes Bermant:

Toronto's much contested plans for a plastic bag ban may be grinding to a halt next week thanks to Mayor Rob Ford's efforts. According to an article on the Globe and Mail, a motion requesting that the council reconsider the ban is poised to poised to be introduced, and stands a high chance of being accepted by the Council due to concerns that a ban might leave the city vulnerable to lawsuits. According to the article's writer, Kelly Grant:

In an article on the Daily Mail Online this weekend, it was announced that the UK Liberal Democratic conference which sought to impose a ban on plastic bags has concluded, and that the final step to taxing the bags now lies in the hands of the Treasury. While the Treasury denies that it is standing in the way of the bill, claiming that "all ideas are on the table," the Lib Dems insist that now is the time for them to push the importance of the levy, and re-assert that the problem will not simply disappear. According to the Mail's Political Editor Matt Chorley, 

According to an article posted on the Daily Mail today, a recent UK poll shows that shoppers are willing to pay a 5 pence levy on single-use plastic bags at the supermarket, and that if such a levy was introduced, that they would limit their use of plastic bags dramatically. Contributor Kirsty Walker discusses the results of the poll, which found that a substantial 56% of those asked believe that 5 pence is a reasonable levy, with an additional 75% who said that, should the levy be put in place, they would find another means of bringing their groceries home. Writes Walker:

As the result of a second recorded rise in plastic bag usage per year, the Guardian reports that Environmental groups in England are pushing even harder for a tax to be implemented. The article states that the latest figures reflect a 5% rise in plastic bag usage, the second consecutive annual rise England has seen. According to the article: