one is bad but two even worse

by sylvia purita
(new york, ny)

I have been recently outraged by the way the supermarkets ignore the impact of plastic bags on the environment. Each time I go to do my shopping I see other people's (I bring my own shopping bag with me) grocery packed in enormous, and by all means not necessary, amount of plastic bags. these plastic bags can be seen everywhere around the supermarket area littering the street, flying in the air, etc. (Think: American Beauty)

I think that it is a good idea, introduced first by state of California, to charge people for each plastic bag they use. Money, as we all know can be very effective tool to motivate people to change their behavior.

Barry's Response - Some cities are now starting to ban these plastic bags. Equally effective might be banning the use of the company's logo or advertising on the outside of these bags.

One retail company in Canada took it upon themselves (back in the 1980's) and started charging customers a few cents for each of these bags. It has been effective to a large degree and could preclude the need for government intervention if all companies did this as well.

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