Who says the fashion people aren’t ahead of the curve?
Practically eons after the canvas tote became the normal gift-with-product bag for every editor under the sun, New York City is finally catching on.
Mayor Bloomberg announced today that he’s trying to push through a new plastic bag fee (or tax, depending on who you’re talking to) for the City Council to consider, which entails charging shoppers $0.06 per every plastic bag used at the register, following in the steps of Ireland, San Francisco, and Ikea.
No word yet on whether the cost targets only delis and groceries, since many clothes stores (Macy’s, H&M, etc) obviously use them, too.
We think it’s a great idea. Not only would it pretty much kill the use of them, but we’re totally prepared thanks to every event / party / fashion show / gift over the past couple years.
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fffff you and your free totes, what about us plebs?
I grew up in Sweden and they use the plastic bag fee and it has made it so no one uses plastic, its great for the environment–but if i have to see one more canvas bag become an IT bag i think it will make me crazy…none of my canvas bags are a plastic bag :-)
guest #1 like every company gives out cheap little fabric totes. I’m sure you can get dozens down at goodwill. don’t be snippy. you don’t need a fashion tote to carry your milk.
I am not in the fashion industry but have still managed to gain a ton of free totes. University fairs, job fairs etc all give them out so that you can pick up as many brocheures as possible!!
I am from Canada and we have a few grocery stores that have been charging five cents a bag for some time. I think it is great, because they also have a bin filled with boxes at the front so even if you don’t have totes you can take advantage of the boxes!
SO AWESOME. I love Bloomberg! I hope he gets his third term.
I think that’s b.s…what if for some reason you pass by a grocery store and had to buy something and you forgot to bring your silly A.Hideous bag… those plastic bags can be reuse many many more times…and whats going to happen to trash bags, they’re made of plastics, is that going to be tax as well??? I miss the day when there almost everything is free…
Guest #6 I think in that case you could, uh, pay the 6 cents. It’s really not a big deal
Seattle is trying to pass this as well!! Fabulous! Plastic bags always end up littering the side of the freeway.
Actually, in Korea, trash bags for anything that is not organic/compostible or recyclable do have a fee, and the goal is to create an incentive to cut down your trash.
Just get a baggu (baggubag.com). They fold into a small square and weigh basically nothing. Conservation takes a bit of time to become second nature, but eventually you just get in the habit of it.
I hate to be the person that says this but I’m just being realistic and there is no way that I’ll remember to bring all my canvas totes when I shop. I’ll just pay the $00.06. Just saying.
Ikea doesn’t even have plastic bags anymore. They’re like Sam’s Club but without the boxes. Except that you buy giant things at Sam’s and often lots of small accessories at Ikea. I don’t mind, though. I like an excuse to buy their giant blue boat-looking bags.
However, even if you used 10 bags, that’s only 60 cents extra. I can’t imagine that would be a deterrent. Perhaps that’s why Ikea got rid of them altogether. And the bigger problem about using those recyclable bags is just remembering to bring them in the store.
Besides, grocery-store plastic bags are good for trash. And more government rules on private businesses? Excessive.
When i studied abroad in Italy, a plastic bag fee was the norm in all of the grocery stores, at least in Florence. It looks like America is finally jumping on the bandwagon. Yay for environmentally friendly choices!
Do it like in San Francisco and just Ban it