Comment: When the bag fee goes into effect in January 2009, (knock on wood), the revenue generated by the fee will be used to clean up our city parks and waterfront, increase curbside pick-up of compostables, and provide environmental education in schools and for the community at large. This is a good thing. Everyone will have reusable bags, and they will have incentive to use them.
Comment: Also, the City of Seattle did not make the decision to create a bag fee lightly. The issue has had enormous support from the community. Seattle residents signed more than 2,200 statements of support for the fee, which is more signatures than the "Stop the Bag Tax" campaign generated.
Comment: This article is not well-researched. For one thing, the green fee is not a tax - it is a fee that only the people who forget to bring their reusable bags will have to pay. The City of Seattle is going to give free reusable bags to every household, so if everyone is responsible about bringing their reusable bags, no one will have to pay the fee.
Comment: I've been living in Belgium for the past year. At the grocery store thin plastic bags cost 10 cents and the thicker more sturdy bags a euro. If I can afford it as an intern then I think the citizens of Seattle will manage. For garbage bags I manage on plastic bags from other stores that don???t charge. Since retailers advertise on their bags I don???t feel that customers should have to pay for those.
Comment: I think it's interesting that Nickerson's outfit, the NW Economic Policy Seminar (seattlebagtax.com), sprang into existence at almost the same time as the plastic bag industry-funded repeal campaign and seems to have enaged in little activity other than critizing Seattle's green fee. Nickerson runs Nickerson and Associates, a consultancy where he has worked with various business interestes. Fishy, if you ask me...
I wonder why this article did little to discuss the environmental benefits of reducing our disposable bag use? Currently, I'd estimate that the paper bag consumption of Seattle causes the logging of 26,000 trees a year. According to the City of Seattle's research, the green fee would cut the greenhouse gas pollution generated by our bag use by the equivalent of taking 600 cars off the road. No, this alone won't solve global warming, but it's a very easy step in the right direction.
Comment: It's interesting to note that Nickerson's outfit, the NW Economic and Policy Institute, which claims that it has no connection to the plastic bag industry, appears to have been started up at almost the exact same time as the industry-funded petition effort started,..Seems fishy to me.
How about some information on the environmental savings of reducing disposable bag use? Seattle's paper bag use currently results in the logging of about 26,000 trees a year, by my estimates, and the city of Seattle's research shows that the green fee should cut the greenhouse gas emissions associated with that logging and other disposable bag production processes by an amount equal to taking over 600 cars off the road.Like the Mayor said, it won't solve global warming on its own, but it's a simple, easy step in the right direction
Comment: Have you checked to see who is behind (and funding) the efforts to repeal the Seattle bag tax? How about the plastics and chemical industry. Do you really believe these groups care more about you and your environment than their bottom line?
Comment: And who is really putting the money behind the stop the bag tax campaign? The plastics and chemical industry. Hope you aren't fooled into thinking they care more about your environment than their bottom line.
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STRATEGIES Isn't it ironic: Xerox is hoping it can profit by teaching companies how to reduce their printing.
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