This is a cool article in the NY Times that talks about how in 2002, Ireland implemented a 33 cent tax per plastic bag. This, coupled with some advertising, led to a 94% reduction in plastic bag use - in a matter of weeks!
More interesting, there was a mindset shift as "carrying [plastic bags] became socially unacceptable — on a par with wearing a fur coat or not cleaning up after one’s dog."
That's pretty cool.
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Mike Harmon
Hi, Paul and JB! On the topic of plastic bags, I wanted to show you the grocery tote bag I made from used plastic bags:
More plastic bag crafts in Craft: magazine: http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2007/08/plastic_bag_crafts.html
I live in a city full of poor people. Naturally, there isn’t an aluminum can anywhere to be found. If every piece of plastic had a 5 cent deposit on it, like a can, not a trace would remain.
It creates jobs, and takes small amounts of money from the lazy (me) to people who want it more.
I simply put my cans out, and someone else takes them away and profits from it. If all non degradable garbage had a deposit, none of it would go to waste and it would sort itself.
Take it a step further. Toxic waste (cell phone batteries, smoke alarms, CFL bulbs) could have a deposit as high as $5 on it. Tvs and tires, which are real hard to get rid of could have a $20 deposit on them.
Yeah, I totally agreee, Dwindle, these deposits seem to work really well.
WAKE UP TIME== DEFINITION TO GO GREEN IS= TO GET RID OF LUXURY AND RETURN TO THE BICYCLE, HORSE AND BUGGY GROW MORE PLANTS ARE A GARDEN, PLANTS TREES, GET FLYING CARS OR BOATS, HIGHWAYS OUT GOING GREEN MEANS JUST THAT, MOVE TO THE LITTLE TOWNS, CITIES FIR FRESH AIR, WHERE THE ECONOMY IS’NT AFFECTED BY THE STOCKS, UNIONS, ETC.. GET BACK TO REAL QUIET LIVING WHERE GREENERY IS NATURAL, NOT CONCRETE CITY.
IF STORES DONT HAVE PLASTIC BAGS I WONT SHOP THERE. PLASTIC BAGS ARE MORE CONVENIENT, STRONGER, LESS PROBLEMS HARD TO FALL APART WHEN WET. COMPARED TO A PAPER BAG. I SEE YOU DONT KNOW WHAT GREEN IS. ITS TOO BAD IN SEATTLE THAT THEY CAN’T TAKE CARE OF THEIR TRASH, THATS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, THEY CAN’T HANDLE THEIR TRASH, SO THEY WANT EVERYBODY ELSE TO USE A MORE EXPENSIVE BAG THAT IS’NT SAFE THEY WANT EVERYONE TO STOP USEING A SIMPLE LIGHTWEIGHT CONVENIENT WATER PROOF FREE PLASTIC BAG, BECAUSE THEY CAN’T THROW THESE BAGS IN THE TRASH AND KEEP IT THERE. NEXT TIME TRY USEING A TOP.
Michael,
Thank you for your feedback. I agree simple steps like a top should be implemented to help control the existing problem. The challenge we’re faced with is that people also tend to be wasteful. For example, instead of throwing away plastic bags, can they be reused? Can people occasionally bring (strong and sturdy) reusable bags to the markets?
The name of the game isn’t to make our lives miserable and go back to the stone age. It’s about ways we can be a little smarter about how we approach environmental issues. Often, small actions go a really long way, while still allowing us to enjoy things in life.
Thanks again for your feedback.