Seattle ditches throw away bags

On April 2^nd Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle, announced a proposal to levy a 20 cent ‘green fee’ on all plastic shopping bags. The measure would also ban foam containers presently used by restaurants and other retail establishments. Seattleites use more than 360 million bags a year and tens of billions end up in the trash worldwide. Plastic bags are small in weight, but have an oversized effect on the environment. While recyclable, most end up in landfills, where they sit for hundreds of years while their toxic components slowly seep into the soil, potentially endangering water quality. They also pose a hazard to fish and wildlife. If enacted, Seattle would join a number of other countries and jurisdictions that have already levied taxes or banned plastic bags altogether including San Francisco, Sweden, Ireland and even China. To help people adjust to the new regime, the City promises to provide one reusable bag to every citizen. Says Nickels, "the answer to the question 'paper or plastic' is neither: Both harm the environment."