Paper or Plastic?
The answer to the question “paper or plastic” could soon cost you 20-cents in the city of Seattle.
The Mayor is proposing a “green fee” on ALL disposable shopping bags at Seattle grocery and convenience stores.
Mayor Nickels and City Council President Richard Conlin held a news conference Wednesday where they also called for a ban on foam containers. Nickels says, “We’re not trying to put anyone, except maybe the plastic bag manufacturers, out of business, but we are trying to make it work in a way that helps the environment and works well for our local businesses.”
Nickels and Conlin say paper and plastic bags and foam containers are all bad for the environment, and they hope charging a fee will encourage people to bring reusable bags when they shop.
Nickels says, “Every piece of plastic ever made is still with us. The best way to handle a ton of waste is not to create it in the first place.”
The 20-cent fee per bag will be divvied up - 5 cents for the retailer, 15 cents for the city. But retailers grossing less than $1 million a year will keep the entire 20-cent fee.
Seattle Public Utilities estimates that 360 million disposable bags are handed out in the city every year - most of them plastic.
The dumbest thing I heard of….what about takeout food? are you going to have to put that in your pockets?
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