Skip the Bag, Save the River

Who would have thought that DC would be one of the few US cities leading the way by imposing a tax on plastic bags. When I first heard about the tax in the summer I thought the chances of it ever coming to pass were slim to none.

Fortunately, was I wrong.

From The Washington Post and Mother Nature Network...

The District's [5 cent] user fee on plastic and paper bags at stores that sell food and/or alcohol went into effect New Year's Day and is one of the toughest such measures in the country.

Lawmakers hope the tax will make the nation's capital more green-friendly and help the environment, with proceeds going to fund the cleanup of the Anacostia River. They estimate it will produce about $3.6 million in revenue in the first year, an amount that might decline as awareness grows and people get used to bringing reusable bags when they go shopping.

"It's controversial because it goes to asking people to think about whether they need disposable bags or not when they go to the store. Before, you never had to think about that," said D.C. Council member Tommy Wells.

Wells said he garnered support for the measure last year by showing his colleagues pictures of the Anacostia's trash islands -- floating blobs of debris latticed with plastic bags. The D.C. Department of the Environment found in a recent study that 47 percent of the trash in the Anacostia's tributaries and 21 percent in the river itself is plastic bags.

Customers can avoid paying the fee by bringing their own reusable bags. Some stores, such as Safeway and Giant, have been giving away free reusable bags. The fee does not apply to bags used for newspapers, produce, hardware, frozen foods, plants, bakery items or prescription drugs.