OK, I’m all for saving the planet but isn’t this a tad excessive?
Probably not, from the article you link, I don’t think they plan to throw anyone in jail for carrying a plastic bag. They just plan to stop a stupid and useless form of pollution and waste.
Here in Michigan we have a plastic bag ban ban. That’s right, our Legislature, in its’ finite wisdom, has prohibited municipalities from banning plastic bags.
This will lead to more liberal states enacting a plastic bag ban ban ban.
Right. From the article:
Panama’s National Assembly has approved a bill to ban plastic bags within a couple years, and some other Latin American countries have begun to take such steps.
Maximum permissible penalties should not be taken as daily occurrences nor reflections of draconian regimentation. In most US states the fine for throwing an apple core in the street can be severe, “to the full extent” of the anti-littering law.
The good part is, if you are boarding a flight in Nairobi for the USA, you are required to have your carryyon toothpaste in an illegal ziploc bag.
In the UK we have taken a more moderate approach and it has proved to be very popular.
Big supermarket chains are not allowed to give away free plastic bags. They charge, for the plastic bags and all the money goes into a fund that is given to charities. The supermarkets also sell robust cloth ‘bags for life’ with pretty designs.
The effect has been that people habitually take their own plastic bags to the supermarket to avoid the charge. The supermarkets will replace their own brand for free when they wear out.
The number of plastic bags originating from supermarkets has gone down 83% and the local charities are happy with the donations. The supermarkets get to sell a range of designer grocery cloth bags and the customers are happy to keep a stash of bags for reuse if they need them.
Here is where the money went:
The government, of course, gets a small amount of sales tax on the bags.
The UK the grocery business is dominated by a few big companies that are law abiding and easy to deal with. The law applies to them all, so there is a level playing field and they get to brag about their charitable donations to environmental charities flaunt their image on new cloth bags. Some are moving to using paper bags.
It is good start, everyone is a winner. I expect the scheme will be adjusted bit by bit, towards getting rid of plastic bags completely.
Introducing small charges seems to have quite a significant effect on public behaviour and people don’t seem to mind too much because the charge is quite small and also easy to avoid.
I guess the situation in Kenya is not quite as easy to manage but this draconian approach seems excessive.
However…this might explain it:
:eek:
Minnesota did the same thing. Isn’t it great when the state legislature doesn’t care about anything except screwing over them librul city slickers?
I’m predicting a surge of Kenyan Prince emails asking for exactly $38,000 to secure your part of a vast fortune.
In Seattle retailers are prohibited from providing plastic shopping bags.
http://www.seattle.gov/util/MyServices/Recycling/ReduceReuse/PlasticBagBan/index.htm
Clear plastic produce bags are allowed for protecting produce, but not green- or brown-tinted bags.
Small paper bags can be offered but large paper bags require a 5 cent charge and must be made of recycled materials.
And then it gets complicated. 
I’m ok with that because plastic bag bans tend to hurt working class careless folks who shop after work. Why should they have to pay for bags? They also serve as trash bags that now must be replaced by other purchased plastic bags. Affleunt white folks turning their nose up at the disadvantaged. No one forces you to use plastic bags.
That should have been working class carless who can’t carry bags with them to work.
This. I use them as trash bags or reuse them to haul stuff around. I’d have to buy more plastic trash bags. If I run a surplus the store has a recycle bin.