Dear Editor,
An outright ban on store bags is bound to generate an uproar as it is a big change.
As mentioned in the article, “Mayor wants to consider plastic bag ban,” a ban on bags is not the only option; Europe has charged a small fee for store bags for decades.
While it was initially met with some outrage, especially at grocery stores where shoppers tend to need more than a bag or two, options were offered, and the public calmed down. First, there was an adjustment period, where bags remained free, up to a certain number; then there was a charge for additional bags. Also, free boxes were provided. As the process switched over to fees for bags, shoppers were more interested in buying recyclable bags, or using ones they already had. Free boxes are still offered, as they are here in the US: Grocery stores as small as Moonflower and as big as Costco offer them.
Let’s not reinvent the wheel. An easy solution is here to follow.
