# Why shouldn't people have to pay for shopping bags?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-people-have-to-pay-for-shopping-bags/712415>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 11, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-people-have-to-pay-for-shopping-bags/712415 "2015-02-11T20:04:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-people-have-to-pay-for-shopping-bags/712415/181 "2015-02-21T02:40:39Z")

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> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> It’s not a tax. The retailers keep the fee.

Not here. The shopkeeper gets to keep a piece of the action but most of it goes to the city. In fact the relatively level tax collection for the bag tax is making some people wonder if it is having any further deterrent effect.

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**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-shouldnt-people-have-to-pay-for-shopping-bags/712415/182 "2015-02-21T02:42:56Z")

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> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> It is a frigid day in DC, but the wind chill just dropped another few degrees because of all that hand-waving.

Yeah I suppose even in this weather, I’m starting to stand on some pretty thin ice. So the bag tax is not as unpopular as I thought but allow me to quibble once more and say its not popular or liked. If it is, then it is in a rare category of popular well liked taxes.

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