Simon, my county (Santa Clara) in Calfornia is threatening to charge 25 cents per plastic bag starting in July. I'm not sure if this is actually going to happen (not sure the law passed) but I've been bringing my own reusable bags (cloth) for some time now. Heck, back 30+ years ago, Europeans were bringing their own to the market.

Whole Foods quit stocking plastic bags altogether at the Austin flagship store a couple of years ago. No charge for getting a brown paper bag with flimsy handles, but they give you a .20 per bag credit if you bring your own reusable bags.

It's a great idea talked about in many locations and getting passed in several. I always try to bring my own re usable bags to stores too. If SP gets something like this passed, I will make my next "client gift" a Barb's Belize bag (instead of the coozie, luggage tags, pens, mini frisbees, etc I have done over the years). You can get really lightweight tiny packing nylon ones now. Think of the mess it would eliminate on the island and elsewhere.

Barbara, you just reminded me - I'm going to pack my mesh bag for my trip to AC in a few weeks. Great for day trips and market run

Several countries have passed laws outlawing plastic bags. I think its a wonderful idea to outlaw or tax the crap out of them. They are so wasteful!

When I was a kid, paper bags were the devil as you had to save the rain forests, so everyone chose plastic. Now plastic bags are the devil because they don't break down in landfills and depend on the evil oil empires to produce, so everyone is told to chose paper again.

If the environmentalists would have just left well enough alone to begin with. That's the problem when you act on your feelings rather than from rational thought.

Paper or plastic, I too remember the savage war to save trees. just think if it had gone farther and lumber was made from plastic. Get your glued together plastic house. Wait, no rot, termites, mold???? Hmmmmm, no stupid idea, can't hold the weight.