Community Corner

Trending: Should We Ban Plastic Bags at Grocery Stores? One State is Considering It

Is it time for plastic bags to go to protect the environment?

By Jason Claffey and Brian Slupski

Should we ban plastic bags from being used?

Rhode Island lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban the use of plastic bags at grocery stores and retail shops, the Associated Press reported.

"We have to stop polluting our air, our water and our land," Sen. Frank Lombardo told a Senate committee, according to the AP. "Is banning plastic bags a fix-all or a cure-all? No. But it's another piece of the puzzle in helping the earth heal itself."

The goal of such measures is to encourage people to use reusable bags brought from home, the Chicago Sun-Times noted in an editorial. For example, San Francisco banned plastic bags in 2007, but then had to add a paper bag fee in 2012. Los Angeles and 100 other local California governments ban the use of plastic bags.

The New York City Council isn't considering a ban, but they are considering a 10-cent fee for all disposable plastic and paper bags, Washington Square News reported. New York would follow Washington, D.C. which already imposes such a fee on plastic bags.

What do you think? Should we get rid of plastic bags to protect the environment?


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