DC started taxing the plastic bags. It's basically a commuter tax. It has worked. When I go into the shops around here to pick up one or two items, I just hold them or put them in my pockets now.

Believe on, you hippies. It will make you FEEL like you've done something, which is important to you.

Your choice of bag has less impact than the fuel used to start your car to go to the market, and plastic bags are just as easy to recycle as paper, and it takes a ton more manufacturing to make "reusable" bags, and to wash them properly requires hot water and detergent. So the question remains which is actually better... but whatever!

This is like the TSA, where the important thing is for people to FEEL safe, not for people to BE safe. You need to FEEL like you've done something, even if you haven't.

Now this is subtle: while Portland was burning calories telling people which bag to use, how many more meaningful, more important questions were left hanging?

Is that a loaf of bread in your pocket...?

Cotton: It's what's for dinner, or something...

No, actually. But it sure is nice to see you.

Witness unintended consequences: no bag means more trips, means more energy used.

Thing about plastic bags is that some people don't recycle or throw them away properly. They end up on the ground, and then get washed into the gutter and down the storm drain and into the local river, where they get tangled up on the shore and look like crap and also might kill some wildlife. If that happens with a paper bag, when it rains, it just gets all mushy and disintegrates in a few weeks.

You need more pockets.

For me, it makes no real difference. I'm always on foot when I'm shopping in DC, so I'm only ever buying an item or two. A greeting card, or a book, or a toner cartridge, etc. I would always just take the bag because it was too much effort to talk to the clerk and tell them I didn't want one, and I really didn't care either way. But now that each bag costs 10 cents, or something like that, they always ask, and I always say no.

Aldis charges for their bags and I have noticed that a lot of shoppers there are starting to bring their own. If other stores did the same because of a tax, that would end up being the intended consequence.

Such as ? Let us know and we'll get right them.
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Wash them properly?

Watchoo talkin bout Willis? I only wash them if something spills, and even then I just toss them in the next load I'm doing anyway.

As for the disposable bags, when I run low on them I pay the 5 cents to DC, and use plastic ones as garbage can liners, and paper ones ('cause they stand up on their own) to store and transport my recycling.

5 cents tax, plus some stores (even beforehand) would give a 5 cent rebate for bringing a bag. So bringing a bag can save you 10 cents.

Not using a bag at all only saves you the five, though.

Your bag is now contaminated with everything that can contaminate fruits and vegetables, which is more than we suspect. So, if you would wash that cantaloupe this afternoon, wash your bag more often, would be my advice.

Deforestation will always continue, but there are things you can do to help the environment.
Always remember the three "R"s:
Reduce the amount of plastic and waste products you have to use.
Reuse things like water bottles, foam trays, and plastic shopping bags as much as you can.
Recycle bottles, cans, newspaper, cardboard and other recyclables.

70% of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.

Forest soil is generally moist, but can quickly dry out without the protection of a forest canopy.This can also majorly effect the animals living in that particular climate.

Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.