Paper or Plastic? Either Way, it Costs a Nickel

Photo courtesy of
‘Plastic bags’
courtesy of ‘Gabriel Thomas’

Being non-green (we need a color description for non-environmentally conscious people, by the way) just got a bit pricier.  Yesterday, the City Council gave final approval to a measure that imposes a 5-cent fee on disposable bags.  The new law is designed to encourage the purchase of reusable bags, which will hopefully cut down on pollution in the Anacostia river.  Revenue from the new tax will go towards environmental clean up and public, anti-littering campaigns.

This will be one of those rare laws that will have an immediate, and frankly annoying impact on daily life.  Think about it: how often do you get plastic bags and not even notice?  Obviously, there’s the grocery store, but what about take-out for lunch, or grabbing a snack from the corner store?  And then there’s the practical application of plastic bags in non-traditional ways.  Pet waste clean up,  anyone?  It’s not that I don’t support the idea, I think it’s great.  It’s just that it’s going to effect us in ways we didn’t necessarily think about. Fortunately, we’ll survive.

Kirk is a Maine-born, military brat who moved no fewer than 12 times during his childhood. He came to the DC area in 2004 for his undergrad and decided that it was the place for him. Since graduating, he’s nabbed a job with the Fed and spends most of his free time hunting for cheap thrills in the city. Find out why he loves DC.

6 thoughts on “Paper or Plastic? Either Way, it Costs a Nickel”

  1. (we need a color description for non-environmentally conscious people, by the way)

    How about brown or gray or some equally dingy color?

  2. Actually the rule is only for grocery bags. You can still use (for free) all the produce bags for pet clean up. :)

  4. But what will I line my bathroom trashcan with if not the Giant/Safeway throwaways? And does this apply to peapod. How impractical…

  5. “Think about it: how often do you get plastic bags and not even notice? Obviously, there’s the grocery store, but what about take-out for lunch, or grabbing a snack from the corner store?”

    Isn’t that the point of the tax? We unnecessarily use way too many bags without even thinking. Maybe now people will think before getting a bag for their coke and candy bar from CVS, or a bag to put their Styrofoam carryout box in.

  6. Ugh. I’ll continue to shop in Virginia, pay lower taxes, and get plastic bags there. I might even walk to the river and throw them in, just to spite this nanny-statism. (I’m being facetious). The march to ever-creeping intrusion of government into private lives continues . . .