Plastic bag tax

Yet again Illinois is taxing something. This time they want to tax plastic bags, but Chicago would be exempt.
They would be the first in the nation to have this tax.

www.illinoispolicy.org...

No U.S. state currently collects a statewide plastic bag tax. Link’s 7-cent checkout bag charge would be distributed as follows: 2 cents per bag flows to the retailer 2 cents per bag flows to the state’s general revenue fund 3 cents per bag flows to a new state-level Checkout Bag Tax Fund

So here is my problem with this. Most retailers already budget in bag fees. They are in essence double dipping.

Most bags they make today aren't worth 1/2 a cent. Very few retailers have bags that are even re-usable anymore. They are so darn flimsy they barely make one trip. We have one grocery chain here that makes super thick bags. You can use them at least a dozen or so times. Maybe they need to make the bags more reusable. The reusable bags that stores sell are terrible. They are barely fabric and are known to harbor e coli and other pathogens.

My solutions............... Hemp bags, tons and tons of hemp bags. When they have finished their shelf life customers can compost them.
Or other natural material. I know that cotton can be bad environmentally, so maybe something like hemp, jute, burlap.
Maybe we can even figure a way to use kudzu or other invasive plant and make bags out of them.

OR..
Maybe we have plastic pods and carriers and you are charged a rental fee, but get that back when you bring them back in.

Or..
We go back to the old days and use baskets, glass and wood. I remember when most foods were in glass, and it tasted sooooo much
better! Plastic and food is a bad mix!

a reply to: JAGStorm

What I more concerned about is taxing for these bags.I think
the only thing not being taxed yet is air we breathe.

originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: JAGStorm

What I more concerned about is taxing for these bags.I think
the only thing not being taxed yet is air we breathe.

Illinois does not care about they environment, they only care about money.
It is all a guise. They will be taxing air real soon!

I like the hemp idea. I live in IL and the taxes are terrible. Something should be done about those plastic bags though..

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Yet again Illinois is taxing something. This time they want to tax plastic bags, but Chicago would be exempt.
They would be the first in the nation to have this tax.

www.illinoispolicy.org...

No U.S. state currently collects a statewide plastic bag tax. Link’s 7-cent checkout bag charge would be distributed as follows: 2 cents per bag flows to the retailer 2 cents per bag flows to the state’s general revenue fund 3 cents per bag flows to a new state-level Checkout Bag Tax Fund

So here is my problem with this. Most retailers already budget in bag fees. They are in essence double dipping.

Most bags they make today aren't worth 1/2 a cent. Very few retailers have bags that are even re-usable anymore. They are so darn flimsy they barely make one trip. We have one grocery chain here that makes super thick bags. You can use them at least a dozen or so times. Maybe they need to make the bags more reusable. The reusable bags that stores sell are terrible. They are barely fabric and are known to harbor e coli and other pathogens.

My solutions............... Hemp bags, tons and tons of hemp bags. When they have finished their shelf life customers can compost them.
Or other natural material. I know that cotton can be bad environmentally, so maybe something like hemp, jute, burlap.
Maybe we can even figure a way to use kudzu or other invasive plant and make bags out of them.

OR..
Maybe we have plastic pods and carriers and you are charged a rental fee, but get that back when you bring them back in.

Or..
We go back to the old days and use baskets, glass and wood. I remember when most foods were in glass, and it tasted sooooo much
better! Plastic and food is a bad mix!

My village has this tax. Stupid. It doesnt stop anyone from buying bags. I think it is 10 cents a bag. Just a money grab.

a reply to: JAGStorm

considering that as an individual I can get 1000 plastic shopping bags for a measly $15, I would imagine that most chains have sweetheart deals for those same bags at well below retail prices. But you're right, they already figure bags into expenses cut out of profits.

Not to mention that most retail grocers offer plastic shopping bag recycling...

So the extra $0.02 would be written into profits.

It's just another inane tax to the middle class.

Forget the tax. Plastic bags need to be banned nationwide...

a reply to: JAGStorm
The good news in Florida is we are restarting the hemp based agriculture. So maybe you will soon have made in Florida hemp bags.

Fwiw, I have always believed there should be a surcharge for using plastic bags. Too many assholes just throw them in the streets. Maybe if their bill was a few extra cents Everytime they wouldn't want to double bag everything and just leave it to fly around in the wind, filling up parks and green space.

I never thought it should be more than a penny. I mean, most plastic bags can be made at least ten for a penny.

Chicago has had a bag tax for a couple of years already

But none on glue 😎

a reply to: JAGStorm

Or at the very least why not biodegradable hemp plastic?

We've been able to make biodegradable cellulose based plastic out of a bunch of things for a while now. Why are we still making plastic out of oil?

Look, I don't like being told what to do much and i'm certainly not a fan of taxes but we do need to do something about the amount of toxic plastic that is being released into the environment.

However in this case, certainly in europe, the plastic bag tax seems to be a winner. Sales of plastic bags in the UK have dropped by 86% with a lot of the money raised given to charities.

Initially it was a real pita trying to remember to take your own bags shopping, but now, after a couple of years, its second nature.

Obviously single use plastic will be phased out globally over the coming years and i think a small tax initially, far less draconian than actually banning them immediately.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Can we tax politicians and bureaucrats for being idiots? What ever happened to brown bags, you know, reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, etc. I think they just make up crap in a frenetic effort to justify their own useless positions.

Cheers - Dave

Our single use plastic bag law came into effect a couple of years ago. Not a tax. A prohibition.

It took a little while to get used to putting my grocery bags back into my car. But I did.

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

What ever happened to brown bags, you know, reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, etc.

Still available, for a small fee.

One grocery chain here gives me a nickle for each reusable bag I use.

This has been in force here in the UK for a few years now for all shops with over 200 staff I believe it is. As the other post above said most of the money raised in charging for a carrier bag goes to various charities NOT the shop itself, and afte rthe initial outrage of having to actually pay 10p for a bag, it seems to be working very well. I know I always have my own bag in my handbag now

a reply to: JAGStorm



there is a remedy to the tax on plastic bags


the grocery stores I frequent give the shopper an option to bring their own grocery bag... I use a nylon mesh clothing bag and I get a minor discount for not using paper or plastic tote sacks the store provides....



I know the stores or outlets should pay taxes on their promotional plastic bags -> but we know the shopper ultimately pays the use tax somehow and gets taxed double or more by tossing those plastic bags into your municipal trash collection services that you pay on your property taxes ever year...


I take a plastic milk crate when I plan on buying a lot of canned goods on my grocery list...
Food Lion /Wal Mart/ BI-LO/Lowes/ Kroger all have bagging options

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Yet again Illinois is taxing something. This time they want to tax plastic bags, but Chicago would be exempt.
They would be the first in the nation to have this tax.

www.illinoispolicy.org...

No U.S. state currently collects a statewide plastic bag tax. Link’s 7-cent checkout bag charge would be distributed as follows: 2 cents per bag flows to the retailer 2 cents per bag flows to the state’s general revenue fund 3 cents per bag flows to a new state-level Checkout Bag Tax Fund

So here is my problem with this. Most retailers already budget in bag fees. They are in essence double dipping.

Most bags they make today aren't worth 1/2 a cent. Very few retailers have bags that are even re-usable anymore. They are so darn flimsy they barely make one trip. We have one grocery chain here that makes super thick bags. You can use them at least a dozen or so times. Maybe they need to make the bags more reusable. The reusable bags that stores sell are terrible. They are barely fabric and are known to harbor e coli and other pathogens.

My solutions............... Hemp bags, tons and tons of hemp bags. When they have finished their shelf life customers can compost them.
Or other natural material. I know that cotton can be bad environmentally, so maybe something like hemp, jute, burlap.
Maybe we can even figure a way to use kudzu or other invasive plant and make bags out of them.

OR..
Maybe we have plastic pods and carriers and you are charged a rental fee, but get that back when you bring them back in.

Or..
We go back to the old days and use baskets, glass and wood. I remember when most foods were in glass, and it tasted sooooo much
better! Plastic and food is a bad mix!

I always find it amazing that liberals understand taxing something to discourage certain behaviors but they can never carry that same logic to taxes and people's income / productivity.

I can only surmise that they dont want people making more money.

So, the answer is to use your own bags.

We've been doing this for almost 40 years.

We, don't need plastic bags.

Ask for paper.



Isn't this the irony?

We went to plastic because people were losing their minds over paper.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Many places charge for paper grocery bags as well.