What some local stores are doing for customers who bring their own plastic bags.

Trader Joes:

At ConservingNow.com we are dedicated to keeping our members informed about the plastic bag policies of your local retailers (or nation-wide retailers).  IKEA is just one of many retailers charging 5c for each plastic bag a customer uses.  

Much of the talk lately about banning plastic bags has been about big cities around the world.  Small cities and towns are equally as interested in the issue, and are finding clever ways to appraoch the problem of plastic bag waste (though on a much smaller budget).  A small town in Exmouth, United Kingdom has launched a two week campaign that appears to be having great success.

"San Jose officials will begin deciding this week whether to join some of the world's largest cities in banning the ever-useful but prodigiously polluting plastic bag.

Fairbanks, Alaska is trying a different approach to get residents recycling their plastic bags.  They are proposing that retailers charge customers for their plastic bags, but then the city is also proposing to pay residents for their recycling.  This seems like an interesting approach and we will continue to watching to see what residents think of the program.

Ever wonder how businesses prepare for bag bans?  What kinds of steps do they take to rid their customers and stores of plastic bags?  The following is an article from North Carolina and I think it is a good example of how small businesses cope with change.  We will continue to watch the changes in the Outer Banks and see how well the retailers are getting on with the new le

There is a great article in the New York Times that summarizes where many American cities are on their plastic bag policies, be it recycling, banning or taxing. 

See the article here:

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/where-recycling-plastic-bag...

Think there is "just" a plastic bag island in the ocean?  Think again.  A local scuba instructor in Hawaii teamed up with a videographer and the results of what they found floating in the ocean are shocking.

Mexico City has banned stores from using any plastic bags that do not biodegrade.  The move comes from an effort of the government in Mexico City to clean up the city and improve its environment.  "The law affects all stores, production facilities and service providers within the Federal District, which encompasses the city limits.

Turns out that plastic bag waste is not the most harmful by-product of plastic bags - toxic gases just might be.  A new study reported on in The Independent states that as plastic bags break down they are releasing gases that are incredibly harmful to both humans as well as marine life. 

From The Independent: