Will Oregon be the first state to ban plastic bags?

In today's NY Times, there's an article discussing the coolness of BYOB  (bringing your own bag) when shopping for groceries.

A while back we blogged about San Francisco becoming the first US city to ban plastic bags. Unfortunately, the US, as a whole, is way behind other parts of the world when it comes to encouraging sustainable shopping habits.

Ireland imposes a fee, costing shoppers 20 cents for each plastic bag used (since 2002); the fee has been credited with cutting bag use more than 90 percent. 

Plastic bags are banned entirely in Uganda and by 2010 they'll be banned in all of France. 

Bans, restrictions or incentives to switch to reusable bags are in place in: 

South Africa,

Zanzibar,

Australia,

India,

Pakistan,

Taiwan,

Canada,

Britain,

Japan,

Germany,

New Zealand,

Bangladesh,

Italy,

and Scandinavia.

Oregon to ban plastic bags in 2009?

The Times reports that antibag bills are being considered in Boston; Baltimore; Annapolis, Md.; Portland, Ore.; and Santa Monica and Oakland, Calif.

The state of Oregon is moving forward as an environmental leader with the State Legislature passing landmark legislation in 2007 that supports renewable energy and electronic waste recycling.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were the first state in the nation to implement a user fee for plastic bags? Or perhaps a statewide reward program for stores that encourage their shoppers to BYOB?

I don't find this to be too unreasonable. Let's make this happen. Let's make it a priority.

We may think of plastic or paper bags as free but in reality they really cost us.

Natural Resources Defense Council states that the number of plastic bags used in the United States each year require some 12 million barrels of oil to produce and paper bags use 14 million trees.

BYOB!

Everybody's doing it.
Ok, everybody except for these United States.

Comments

[Gwen Gamble]

I totally support the ban of plastic bags. I have lived in Europe for 16 years and have seen a variety of solutions to the plastic bag problem One of my favorite has the been the "BAG FOR LIFE" that Waitrose uses. For 20 cents you buy a store bag. It's large roomy and durable, they are also well designed. The customer uses the bag until it's falling apart then the store replaces it at no cost. The bags are all colorful and have beautiful pictures on them. I still have my Wine Barrels bag and the strawberries were another favorite. GO OREGON!!! Find solutions and make a difference!

[Gwen Gamble]

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