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Aug 18, 2009 | 1
Seattle voters will decide today if they are willing to pay 20 cents for each disposable bag they carry out of a grocery store—paper or plastic. Many residents of the eco-conscious city already opt for their own reusable cloth shopping bags; could a financial incentive encourage more to follow suit?
Last July, the city approved the tax (or "fee" depending upon whom you ask), which was set to go into affect in January. But opposition—mainly supported by $1.4 million from the American Chemistry Council, the lobbying arm of the plastics industry—has kept the tax at bay, and caused the Seattle City Council to finally put the question to its people.
"This amount of money is about bullying public officials," Rob Gala, a spokesman for Seattle Green Bag Campaign, told the Associated Press. "They're trying to send a message to elected officials across the country who are thinking about similar measures."
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