LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BAG BILL
With PLASTIC BAG lobbyist playing off of people's fears and using divisive tactics to try and sway support away from the proposed bag bill it is important to keep the facts straight. See below the proposed legislation on the bag bill.
FYI - Most retailers already offer a credit when you use reusable bags so in FACT using reusable bags will SAVE YOU MONEY! FREE Reusable bags will be distributed to seniors and low income residents. If a FREE bag will result in a 5 cent SAVINGS - what can be better?
REUSABLE BAGS = SAVINGS = DOING GOOD FOR THE ENVIROMENT.
PLASTIC BAGS = ADDITONAL COST = DOING BAD FOR THE ENVIROMENT
Please join us in supporting this initiative, sign the petition at http://www.trashfreeanacostia.com/
What's the proposal?
Place a 5-cent fee, paid by consumer, on all disposable recyclable plastic and paper carryout bags from Retail Food Establishment license holders (including grocery stores, food vendors, convenience stores, drug stores, restaurants) and Class A & B liquor licensees.
Ban non-recyclable plastic carryout bags; require that if a plastic carryout bag is offered, that it must be recyclable and clearly labeled as such.
The retail establishment will get 1 cent of fee returned tax exempt to the retailer.
Retailers who choose to offer a carryout bag credit program will retain an additional cent, for a total of 2 cents per bag.
The remaining fee per bag will be deposited into a new Anacostia River Cleanup & Protection Fund.
Why a Fee?
Charging for bags properly places the cost on those who use them
Provides incentive to bring reusable bags and to refuse bags for small, consumable purchases.
What about low-income residents and seniors?
Before the fee takes effect, the city will conduct an intensive outreach campaign that includes not only public education, but also provides reusable carryout bags to residents for free. The city will work with service providers to distribute multiple reusable bags to seniors and low-income households.
How will the Anacostia River Cleanup & Protection Fund be used?
The Fund will be used to support:
Continued public education campaign about the impact of trash on DC.s environmental health.
Continued distribution of additional reusable carryout bags to DC residents.
Environmental initiatives on the Anacostia River, such as the purchase and installation of garbage traps; installation of wetlands and other plant life to protect the health of the River; funding community cleanup events; etc.
Efforts with neighboring jurisdictions to focus cleanup efforts upstream.
Why not expand the fee to all bags, including those provided by Macy.s and other non-food retailers?
The DDOE report indicated most of the bag litter in the Anacostia appears to be related to consumable purchases. For example, when someone buys a soda and a bag of chips, it goes in a carryout bag; that person only has two hands: one for the soda, one for the chips. The bill, in part, attempts to address where that bag goes when the person walks from the store, consuming their purchase.