Results tagged “plasticbags”

DCist had just been wondering when the city was going to get around to raising awareness about the impending 5 cent disposable bag fee, which goes into effect in January 1, 2010, and lo and behold, the “Skip the Bag, Save the River” Education Campaign press release landed in our inbox today.

Before getting started on crime bill debate, the D.C. Council went ahead and passed the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act on a second reading earlier today, sending the legislation to Mayor Fenty for his signature. The first vote took place just two weeks ago; both votes were unanimous. The key feature of the law is a new 5 cent fee on consumers per paper or plastic carryout bag taken from District retailers. If all goes according to plan, and there's no reason at this point to think it won't, the five cent fees would be in place by January, 2010, so you've got roughly six months to get used to carrying around your own reusable bags.

The United Nations must be a fan of the D.C. Council's intention to impose a 5 cent fee on consumers for every disposable bag -- the international body's environmental chief this week called for a worldwide ban on single-use plastic bags. Via McClatchy:

"Single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere. There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere," said Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme. His office advises U.N. member states on environmental policies.

Continue reading "UN Calls for Global Ban on Plastic Bags"

Stock up on your canvas bags, everybody. The Washington Times has its story up already: the D.C. Council voted unanimously just a little while ago to give initial approval to the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009, which among other things enacts a 5 cent fee on consumers per paper or plastic carryout bag taken from District retailers - retailers get to keep one cent of the fee, with the other four cents going toward Anacostia River cleanup. The bill also bans the use of non-recyclable disposable plastic carryout bags by retailers.

>> Don't forget: thousands of dirty hippies and the gun-toting maniacs who hate them are getting together for a big ol' hootenanny down on the National Mall tomorrow morning. It's the War on War on War. >> At the Washington City Paper, editorial assistants who make mistakes aren't just named, they're taken out back and tortured with one million paper cuts using the latest issue while Erik Wemple screams "you're not good enough to...