One Buck for One Bag in Brownsville, TX
A few weeks ago we wrote about a California bill that got shot down in that state’s Senate which would have banned plastic bags from groceries, drugstores, and convenience stores. We still believe in what we wrote then. We don’t think an all-out ban is the answer to the plastic problem, as this would likely turn people toward paper and compostable bags, both of which carry with them serious environmental impacts of their own during the manufacturing process. So we’re very intrigued by a new law that was just passed in Brownsville, Texas.
Starting on January 5, 2011, customers will face a one dollar surcharge for any transaction involving plastic bags. This will be the case mainly at convenience stores and groceries. Places like cleaners, drug stores, and small hardware stores will not be included in the additional fee.
In Washington, D.C., the surcharge per bag is five centers. Makes the Brownsville law sound harsh? The results in D.C. are impressive. This meager nickel charge reduced the number of plastic bags used by about 50 percent. Imagine what a buck will do.
There’s an even larger upside to Brownsville’s new law: money raised from the surcharges will go to the city for clean up and environmental projects.
Now here’s the part we adore: Brownsville is actually going to start giving away free reusable bags to residents at area grocery stores.
To read more about the Brownsville law, click this sentence. To read more about the D.C. law, click this sentence.
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