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In an effort to reduce plastic bag pollution, Kenya has introduced tough laws that will result in a prison term of up to 4 years or a maximum of $40,000 for any Kenyan producing, selling or even using plastic bags, although initial enforcement will target manufacturers and suppliers.
"The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda and Italy."
Bags can take 500-1000 years to decompose, in the mean time killing or harming wildlife and entering the human food chain.
What is being done about plastic bag pollution where you live?
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Kenya Introduces Big Penalties for Plastic Bags
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Everything is worth precisely as much as a belch, the difference being
that a belch is more satisfying.
-- Ingmar Bergman
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:17PM (10 children)
This is how I picture you, "think about it!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxNuQDxnECU [youtube.com]
The reason they tax the bags is in order to reduce the waste stream. In case you never learned the three Rs of recycling, it goes Reduce Reuse Recycle in that order. Stop generating waste, reuse what you can so it doesn't go in the landfill, recycle whatever can't be reused.
I am thinking about it, and I quickly come to the conclusion that paying people to recycle ends up being the same thing since that money would come from taxes. I prefer to tax those who are using the plastic bags instead of taxing everyone so we can pay for doing the right thing.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:24PM (9 children)
You'll notice that my subject is "That tax is portrayed as a way to reduce waste." Telling me it's to reduce waste is a waste of time.
You neglect to explain why this particular organization that calls itself "government" should be the one receiving revenue.
Why can't a person be taxed $0.25 for using a new plastic bag, but then receive back ~$0.25 for returning it to a recycling center?
Think about it!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:30PM (8 children)
1. I think explaining the purpose of a law is an admirable thing, but I'm just craaaazy
2. Who else? Seriously?
3. Because the point is to change people's habits so they buy reusable bags and stop filling the landfill with throw away plastic ones.
You obviously have an axe to grind and could care less about thinking, good day sir.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:44PM (5 children)
Carrying produce and animal products in a reusable bag means there will be a greater transfer of disease-causing organisms.
It would be better to ensure that such items are carried in the kinds of bags that have a well-defined path from clean-to-recycling.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:49PM
You can wash the bags, you can get separate small bags to put such items in, and besides I have yet to see any stores in the US ban produce bags.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday August 29 2017, @05:14PM (3 children)
Bags can be cleaned - and it's entirely up to the user whether they are or not.
Besides which - the outsides of anything you buy at the store is going to be covered in germs anyway - and unlike the germs in your bag, they won't all be germs you've already been living alongside of.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:14PM (2 children)
Cleaning a reusable bag once is more harmful than using several disposable bags.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:27PM
I would like to see some evidence on this. They are small and take up little room in the washer or dryer.
Its not like anyone washes a load of just these bags and I wont be doing more loads just due to the facts.
Its also not the energy the bag needs to be produced its the fact that it probably ends up in the great pacific plastic patch if you don't recycle.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @06:40PM
Wrong, the resource use in creating a single bag is much higher than you think. Start to finish it will use more water and other resources than washing will.
SO MUCH FUD TODAY!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @04:46PM (1 child)
YHBT
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 29 2017, @09:25PM
You Have Been Taxed is a very good way of describing this situation.