Plastic Bag Fees

Stores around the world are starting to consider charging for their plastic bags.

At just a few cents per bag, it might not seem like it would make much of a difference, but consider how quickly that will add up for a family who grocery shops just once a week. If you’re charged 5 cents per bag and use 5 bags per trip once a week, that’s $13.00 every year. Still doesn’t seem like much, but let’s be honest – most people use more than five bags per trip, and that’s just to the grocery store. You can easily spend $50 a year or more on plastic bags.

And people do care, whether it is about the money or about saving the environment. In the UK, Marks & Spencer has seen an 80% drop in bag usage since they’ve begun charging 5 pence per bag about 10 weeks ago.

In the United States, plastic bags are on the chopping block, and consumers might have to pay 25 cents or more per bag. The LA City Council is banning plastic bags (for free) starting in 2010, which is mirroring the recent San Francisco ban. Baltimore, however, has rejected a similar plan.

Consumers seem to be supporting bans. They may not be calling for them yet, but if city officials or companies take the initiative, there seems to be strong support. So why not cut costs and introduce policies? I hope more companies and entire cities take initiative soon.