May 25 - Poll: Plurality Think Bag Fees Best Way to Reduce Plastic Litter and Waste

A reader poll in this week's Waste News Online finds that a plurality think charging a fee on plastic bags is the best way to reduce plastic litter and waste:

What is the Best way to reduce plastic litter and waste?

  • Charge a Bag Fee -- 41.7%
  • Educate Shoppers about Bag Recycling -- 34.4%
  • Urge Shoppers to Bring their own Bags -- 12.5%
  • Encourage Retailers to reduce Bag Usage -- 11.5%

You can take the poll yourself by clicking here.

In a March CAW online poll, 90% of respondents said they would support a fee on plastic bags, with 50% supporting a fee of 15 cents per bag.

Last year, San Francisco's Environmental Commission recommended the city adopt  a fee on the distribution of plastic bags to encourage reuse and help offset the city's costs for bag litter clean-up and recycling.  San Francisco has agreed to trial program whereby retailers have committed to trying to reduce plastic bag use by 10 million bags annually.

CAW is sponsoring AB 2449 (Levine), which will require California grocery stores to take back and recycle plastic bags, as well as sell reusable bags.

What you can do:

 

 

Lanh Nguyen