News

Solana Beach Votes To Ban Plastic Bags Used For Advertising -- Ads wrapped in plastic bags that pitch everything from landscapers to pool cleaners soon will be illegal in this oceanfront city. Solana Beach is joining other cities around the world to take steps to reduce plastic pollution. The number of plastic bags used annually worldwide has been estimated as high as 1 trillion, and they are thought to make up as much as 80 percent of all marine debris. (read more)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Plastic bags cause many environmental problems. They wave unsightly in trees and on fences, and create a serious environmental threat blanketing the ocean floor. About six villages have already banned plastic bags because there's no way to contain them when there are no fences surrounding landfills..."What we're finding now is that underneath the plastic, everything is dead," she said. "That plastic is basically suffocating life at the bottom of the ocean." (read more)

Plastic Bag Phase Out Task Force - The South Australian Government is committed to a phase-out of single use plastic shopping bags. While the Environment Protection and Heritage Council is considering a range of options, South Australia is urging the Council to ban these bags from 1 January 2009. (read more)

Quebecers may face 20-cent tax on plastic bags - Quebec shoppers may soon be faced with a 20-cent tax for using plastic bags instead of reusable ones when they're taking home their groceries. Lalonde said the idea is based on a similar tax imposed in Ireland in 2002, which resulted in a 90 per cent drop in plastic-bag use. (read more)

Londoners face 23c plastic bag tax - SHOPPERS in London could soon have to fork out 10 pence (23c) for every plastic bag they use in a bid to reduce landfill waste. If successful, all shops across London would have to charge the fee on every bag they hand out, with the money to be recouped by the councils to pay for recycling.
The move follows a similar tax introduced in Ireland five years ago, with shoppers charged 15 euro cents (24c) for every plastic bag they use. The Irish tax, which has since risen to 22 euro cents (35c), cut plastic bag use by 90 per cent within months and raised millions of euros for environmental projects. (read more)

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