By Tracey Lomrantz, Glamour magazine
Last time we discussed it, you dolls said that you're all about bringing your own bags to the grocery store, but that you rarely remember when you hit the mall for some retail therapy. That may soon change, if a brand new law in Italy can inspire the same eco-consciousness here in the states.
As of January 1, 2011, plastic bags are illegal throughout all of Italy, according to Reuters. While the quest for a more environmentally-friendly Europe has long been underway, Saturday's official institution of the ban means the more than 20 billion bags Italians use each year--that's 330 per person!--will soon be a thing of the past. Retailers will be permitted to give shoppers bags made from cloth, paper, or biodegradable materials only.
While the move will mostly effect supermarkets and other big-box stores, plenty of clothing retailers will have to change their ways, too (think about how many drawstring polyurethane bags you left the mall with on your last outing!). Other U.S. cities have adopted similar policies--San Francisco was the first city to ban them entirely, and New York is thinking about a six-cent plastic bag tax--but we'd love to see a nationwide embrace, like in Italy.
What do you gals think? Would your world be a better place if plastic bags were banned? Do you think you could learn to bring your own reusable totes to the mall? Do you already? Discuss!
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Photo Credit: amazon.com
