Seattle is front line in grocery bag fee

[browneyes106]

By PHUONG LE, Associated Press Writer Phuong Le, Associated Press Writer – Fri Aug 14, 4:08 pm ET

SEATTLE – Leaders of this famously green city last year passed the nation's first grocery bag fee, and other cities around the nation quickly followed.

But the plastics industry has been fighting back, bringing lawsuits, aggressively lobbying lawmakers and bankrolling a referendum in Seattle to overturn the 20-cent charge. The measure goes before voters Tuesday, and polls show marginal support after the industry spent $1.4 million, outspending supporters about 15-to-1.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090814/ap_on_re_us/us_seattle_bag_fee

[James]

That's stupid. Why do the enviro-wackos have to make such a big deal about something so small? It's just grocery bags, for crying out loud! (I thought it was bad enough when San Francisco recently banned plastic bags!)

[Schmoopie]

I actually think it's a good idea, in a way. 20 cents is a bit high, however. I would think five cents would be okay. This only applies to Seattle from what I understand and not other cities-yet anyway. I was in a Fred Meyer store the other day near my home and I brought in one of those reusable bags. After I paid, I looked at my receipt and I had been credited 10 cents because I saved them from giving me two bags. 10 cents is hardly anything, but if you figure that each of those bags is costing them money, they are actually saving money by not giving them away.

I admit that I use the things for trashbags, and I try to fill them as full as possbile before throwing them away. I am a BIG recycling advocate! However, I hate ending up with so many of those bags. At Fred Meyer, they have signs on the cart racks outside and above the main doors that say "Did you bring your bag?" which is a reminder for people.

I think that what stores ought to do if they are going to charge 20 cents per bag, they should credit people 20 cents for bringing their own or else for reusing a plastic bag.

These bags end up in the ocean and in landfills which pollutes everything. That's why they are trying to get rid of them. I keep three or four of those reusable bags in my car and that way I'm less prone to forget them. Sometimes it works, anyway!

Andrea

[littlebelle]

That's stupid. Why do the enviro-wackos have to make such a big deal about something so small? It's just grocery bags, for crying out loud! (I thought it was bad enough when San Francisco recently banned plastic bags!)

Because we care about preserving the planet that we live on? you know, the home that's giving us everything that we've needed for years. Helping the environment is done in small steps.

[Schmoopie]

Because we care about preserving the planet that we live on? you know, the home that's giving us everything that we've needed for years. Helping the environment is done in small steps.
Thanks, littlebelle! :yourock: :clap :bighug:

[James]

Because we care about preserving the planet that we live on? you know, the home that's giving us everything that we've needed for years. Helping the environment is done in small steps.

There are better ways to do it instead of the bullying by "Big Government" and those with the Al Gore mentality! To me those fees are a tax to fund "Big Government"!

[Chocoholic]

While I agree we need to take more steps to protect the environment, I don't think charging people for plastic bags is the answer. Maybe stores can do what Andrea suggested by giving people a small discount or something for using reusable bags. I think that might give people more of an incentive to use them, especially with the prices of groceries rising up. Charge people more for bags and they just might take their business elsewhere. I know I would.

[Stuck In The '70's]

While I agree we need to take more steps to protect the environment, I don't think charging people for plastic bags is the answer. Maybe stores can do what Andrea suggested by giving people a small discount or something for using reusable bags. I think that might give people more of an incentive to use them, especially with the prices of groceries rising up. Charge people more for bags and they just might take their business elsewhere. I know I would.
Yea I agree. I would never pay just to use a bag. That's ridiculous.

[littlebelle]

There are better ways to do it instead of the bullying by "Big Government" and those with the Al Gore mentality! To me those fees are a tax to fund "Big Government"!

I honestly have no problem with it. I can bring my own reusable bags, and if I forget one, 20 cents isn't going to kill me- especially when I know I'm contributing to an environmental cause.

[Jude The Obscure]

I try to use when my tote bags when I can, but sometimes I do forget. But this won't go down well, esp in areas where the poor make up a good portion of the population. The store I work in is located in the "poor white" section of the city and I just imagine what they would have to say if this tax (which is what it is) were imposed.

[Schmoopie]

Well, good news for those who were opposed...

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/53635547.html

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/409387_bagtax18.html

I live in Snohomish County, so I couldn't vote on this measure.

[comedyfreak]

Instead of all the hoopla and if plastic bags are that bad, why don't they stop using them and go back to the paper bags like they use to in the old days.

[Jude The Obscure]

Instead of all the hoopla and if plastic bags are that bad, why don't they stop using them and go back to the paper bags like they use to in the old days.


then the tree lovers would get all over this and shout about the deforestation of American land due to paper bag usage :lol:

Honestly, paper is a lot easier to recycle or just downright decompose.

[OH Nuts!]

Actually I like A LOT what some NYC stores are doing, they deduct 5 or 10 cents for each bag of your own that you use. NOW that's a good incentive not to use a new bag (thank you Zabar's and Whole Foods)

[comedyfreak]

then the tree lovers would get all over this and shout about the deforestation of American land due to paper bag usage :lol:

Honestly, paper is a lot easier to recycle or just downright decompose.
:rofl:

[Schmoopie]

Those resuable bags aren't that sturdy, when you think about it. I had one break a couple of weeks ago, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. It has the recycling arrows on the sides of the bag, so I tossed it in the recycle bin. I'm hoping you can actually recycle these things. It would make sense, especially if they are trying to encourage recycling and using less anyway.

[Family Ties Forever!]

We reuse the plastic grocery bags from the grocery store. We do that so that the bags get more than just one use.