Consumers Could Be Charged for Plastic and Paper Bags
01/26/2012
Flickr: Mr. T in DC
A 10-cent fee on plastic and paper shopping bags would bring in more than $20 million and cut the use of the environmentally harmful bags dramatically, the Hawaii Sierra Club says.
Sierra Club director Robert Harris told the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection Thursday that a fee — which would be charged to consumers at the checkout counter — has worked to reduce plastic bag use in other areas.
Harris was among those testifying on House Bill 2260. Environmental groups, including The Nature Conservancy and Surfrider Foundation, as well as government department heads and even major supermarkets, testified in support of the bill.
“Times and Safeway want to proactively address the issue of single-use bags,” Melissa Pavlicek, who represents the supermarkets, told lawmakers. She said the stores are concerned about the environmental impact of the bags.
