The City of Seattle has decided to put a plastic bag tax of $.20 to the voters.  This is the first time voters are being given the opportunity to decide what to do about plastic bags in their communities.  Already the issue has become incredibly contentious in Seattle with many green coalitions standing up against petroleum companies and the American Chemistry Council.

Five Cent Bag Tax Wins Final Council Vote

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/06/15/daily41.html

The District gave its final unanimous vote in favor of charging a nickel for each paper and plastic bag that residents get from restaurants, pharmacies and grocers in an effort to clean up the Anacostia watershed.

As from June 1, Altesa Supermarkets started charging for their biodegradable plastic bags at one céntimo each. On its' sales ticket it says "Help protect our Islands. Everyone for the environment." also referring clients to a website referring to degradable plastics.

The Madison Common Council on Tuesday night approved an ordinance requiring residents to take unsoiled plastic bags in for recycling. The ordinance bans throwing clean plastic bags away in the trash, but it allows people to throw away used, soiled plastic bags.

Store owners and city residents united Tuesday against a proposed 25-cent surcharge on plastic and paper bags used in Baltimore, saying the plan would burden small businesses and city residents struggling through difficult economic times.

Washington D.C. Approves Plastic Bag Tax
June 2, 2009

Washington D.C. joins many other cities doing their part to eliminate plastic bag waste and pollution.

“Toronto, Canada’s most populated city, is now charging consumers five cents for every plastic bag requested from a retailer in an effort to reduce the consumption of disposable packaging. The law took effect on June 1 and is part of Toronto’s commitment to achieve a 70 percent waste diversion rate.”

Often seen as a progressive city, San Francisco took the initiative in 2007 to ban plastic bags from large supermarkets and chain pharmacies in the city and county of San Francisco.

In January 2008, New York City passed a bill requiring that large retailers and chain shops using plastic bags recycle them for consumers.

Currently, New Yorkers are using 1 billion bags per year. Having convenient recycling facilities will greatly help cut down on the waste and litter from all those bags.

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After exploring many options to discourage citizens and retailers from using plastic bags, in 2002 the country of Ireland decided to charge all consumers a small amount of every plastic bag they used to bag their groceries.