2008 Woodie Awards
Maine considers new plastic bag fee
Supporters claim state legislature's proposal would help the environment
Seth Poplaski
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: News
A bill proposing a 20 cent fee on plastic grocery bags will not go to the legislature in the coming session, but it has caused controversy to arise in the state of Maine. The proposed bill was created in hopes of encouraging shoppers to switch from plastic to cloth bags when they shop.
State Rep. of the Maine Legislature Ted Koffman co-chairs the Natural Resources Committee of Maine and said that using cloth bags would be beneficial. Using cloth bags not only cuts down on the amount of plastic bags that are being used, but also can aid in the reduction of oil use as manufacturing plastic bags uses a substantial amount of oil that harms the environment.
Students at the University of Maine have already begun to support the proposed bill. Walter Lazarz, co-coordinator of the university's Green Campus Initiative, agreed that plastic bag usage needs to be reduced.
"Plastic bags, which are made from petroleum, aren't recycled enough," Lazarz said. "So why continue to use them when clear alternatives are available and ready for widespread use in Maine?"
San Francisco has completely banned the use of plastic bags. European countries such as Ireland, Denmark and Switzerland have also taken a stand against plastic bag use and now charge a fee for each one used. Many are hopeful that Maine will soon follow the trend.
"There's no real reason why this shouldn't be done. It would save stores, business owners, customers and taxpayers a lot of money," Lazarz said. "Stores in Maine would have to invest in supplying reusable bags instead of plastic ones, but in the long run it would really save them money."
One of the biggest concerns involving the proposed bill is the lack of incentives for using cloth bags. Although grocery stores such as Hannaford and Shaws sell cloth bags, customers are only rewarded with a five-cent discount per cloth bag used. At that rate, a shopper would have to buy 20 bags worth of groceries to save $1.
Katie Williams, University of Maine graduate and Bangor resident, said she would use cloth bags if there were more incentives.
"I think the fee is a good idea, but there aren't enough incentives to switch over to cloth bags right now. If stores offer a bigger discount for using cloth bags, I would probably switch over," Williams said.
The proposed bill will not reach legislation this year, but the issue is expected to arise again.
The Green Campus Initiative hopes to do its part by writing letters to the state representatives in hopes of encouraging them to remove plastic bags from Maine completely, either by enforcing the tax or abolishing them.
State Rep. of the Maine Legislature Ted Koffman co-chairs the Natural Resources Committee of Maine and said that using cloth bags would be beneficial. Using cloth bags not only cuts down on the amount of plastic bags that are being used, but also can aid in the reduction of oil use as manufacturing plastic bags uses a substantial amount of oil that harms the environment.
Students at the University of Maine have already begun to support the proposed bill. Walter Lazarz, co-coordinator of the university's Green Campus Initiative, agreed that plastic bag usage needs to be reduced.
"Plastic bags, which are made from petroleum, aren't recycled enough," Lazarz said. "So why continue to use them when clear alternatives are available and ready for widespread use in Maine?"
San Francisco has completely banned the use of plastic bags. European countries such as Ireland, Denmark and Switzerland have also taken a stand against plastic bag use and now charge a fee for each one used. Many are hopeful that Maine will soon follow the trend.
"There's no real reason why this shouldn't be done. It would save stores, business owners, customers and taxpayers a lot of money," Lazarz said. "Stores in Maine would have to invest in supplying reusable bags instead of plastic ones, but in the long run it would really save them money."
One of the biggest concerns involving the proposed bill is the lack of incentives for using cloth bags. Although grocery stores such as Hannaford and Shaws sell cloth bags, customers are only rewarded with a five-cent discount per cloth bag used. At that rate, a shopper would have to buy 20 bags worth of groceries to save $1.
Katie Williams, University of Maine graduate and Bangor resident, said she would use cloth bags if there were more incentives.
"I think the fee is a good idea, but there aren't enough incentives to switch over to cloth bags right now. If stores offer a bigger discount for using cloth bags, I would probably switch over," Williams said.
The proposed bill will not reach legislation this year, but the issue is expected to arise again.
The Green Campus Initiative hopes to do its part by writing letters to the state representatives in hopes of encouraging them to remove plastic bags from Maine completely, either by enforcing the tax or abolishing them.
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