Seattle residents are voting on a 20 cent plastic bag tax. Small businesses (those that make less than a certain amount), would keep the entire 20 cents. Bigger businesses would keep five cents, with 15 cents going to public utilities to pay for the program, plus provide free reusable bags to low-income families and the homeless. Whether or not you're in Seattle, would you vote yes on the tax? Why or why not?

It's a drastic move, but an effective one. The fact that people will have to pay for something that used to be free will bother them enough to make them do what they have to do to avoid the 20-cent charges - find reusable bags. Or, it may end up being a policy that people grumble about and protest in the beginning - think cigarette prices, airline luggage fees, etc. - but realize/decide they still need to use them, so they just succumb and pay the fee. At least charities will benefit. I don't buy the argument that this will disproportionately affect low-income families; all it takes is a purchase of a few reusable bags, available at Dollar Stores. And the Seattle program proposes to provide free bags for those who need them - even better.

I agree. I support it 1000%.  Those plastic bags may look cute in American Beauty, but they add up.

These small incentives make SUCH a difference.  Go Seattle!

Seriously -- just imagine how much plastic we would save if people didn't have to take home a plastic bag EVERY SINGLE TIME they went to the store -- which is extremely often -- and then, if that weren't bad enough, promptly dispose of the bag via the garbage. At least paper is recyclable. But both are wasteful.

Some grocery stores in Toronto, ON, Canada used to charge 5 cents (and you got a decent quality bag reusable for garbage etc) then the City decided to make all stores charge 5 cents for plastic bags as a method of BYOBag and it has worked.  An idea that was long overdue.

Bringing your own grocery bag is a standard way of life for some European and Asian countries. Why shell out the extra 5-10 cents when you can save yourself that?

Most of my plastics go straight into the trash can and I'm sure alot of them end up in landfills where they won't rot for 1000 years. The municipalities saves themselves money for the reduction in landfill usage from cheap plastic bags.

I actually am a bit disappointed with my local grocery stores.  

When you walk in, they have a little sign reminding you to 'bring your own bags!'  But at the register -- in addition to the fact that no one really seems to be actually bringing bags from homes -- they don't remind you how much you could have saved by not using paper or plastic. People need to be constantly reminded of the tax being imposed on them, I think, for this to work.

More of the big chain stores should do a better job or promoting re-usable alternative bags.  We have ours that we try to remember to take with us to Trader Joe's and/or Whole Foods.  Then we end up using the plastic ones to collect trash or as can liners around the house.  The paper ones we use to collect recycling and put the full ones in the recycling bin.

It is a tax that is inconvenient but can be overcome by more environmentally savvy consumers.  The tax serves as a reminder that we should bring our own bag.  I believe there is a similar policy on recycling in Canada which seems to be working.