Should Supermarkets Charge for Plastic Bags?

Joanne Camas



Denver is the latest city to propose measures to slash plastic bag use. The city is considering a 5-cent charge per bag in an effort to reduce landfill waste by 20 percent.

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Portland, Oregon, has outright banned plastic bags. The city allows paper bags at checkouts, but shoppers are asked to bring reusable bags when possible. "Plastic grocery and shopping bags may offer short-term convenience, but they have long-term costs. Not only do single-use bags require resources such as petroleum and natural gas to manufacture, their disposal presents a number of problems as well," city leaders say.

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They add, "These flyaway bags litter our parks and trees, enter storm drains and can eventually end up in rivers and oceans where they break into small, toxic pieces." With 1 billion plastic bags used every year in NYC alone, according to the Bag It documentary, there's certainly reason to look at alternatives, and reusable bags are an easy eco-friendly option. Has your city made an effort to curb plastic bag use? How has it gone about it?

Take our quick poll so we can see where you stand on the issue!

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