For decades the standard question at U.S. grocery store check-out counters has been “Paper or Plastic?” But since January, consumers in the U.S. capital have faced a different question: “Will you pay 5 cents for a bag?”
Europeans have long accepted the idea of providing their own baskets, bags or nets to carry their purchases, or paying for bags. But in the United States, where retailers go out of their way to cater to customers’ needs, being given a free paper or plastic bag to carry purchases is largely taken for granted. So not all Washingtonians are pleased.
“I think it’s unnecessary,” said Daniel Koroma, 57, as he toted groceries home from a supermarket in a plastic bag that he’d paid for. “They sell you the groceries, they should give you something to put them in.”
While one major city, San Francisco, has banned plastic bags, Washington’s law is the first of its kind in the United States. It is being carefully watched by activists who hope that one strong success will prove the tipping point for a program aimed at reducing litter, pollution and waste.
“Whichever state is going to pull this is off is going to have the potential to be seen as the one that has cracked this problem,” said Vincent Cobb, founder of reuseit.com Web site that promotes recycling and sells reuseable bags.
Whether Washington’s law will prove to be a trendsetter remains to be seen. The issue has sparked debate and many shoppers would rather juggle items in their arms or drive to stores in neighboring states where bags are still free.
FULL STORY: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100222/ap_on_bi_ge/us_paying_for_plastic
Comments
We have reusable bags. When ewe don’t use them I choose plastic. Many people think that plastic is an environmental evil thing. Unless you live right on the coast then choose plastic over paper. Paper products are VERY resource intensive to produce generating far more pollution than the plastic bag plants.
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