In China, plastic bag litter is know as white pollution. The country used about 3 billion plastic bags each year, which required 37 million barrels of crude oil to produce. In January 2008, China’s parliament prohibited shops from handing them out, with the threaten of a fine for those who didn’t comply. The result? 40 million fewer bags used or a reduction of 66 percent.

And this isn’t the only tactic that has worked. In 2002, Ireland put a 15p surcharge on plastic bags, which resulted in an impressive 90 percent reduction. This week, Northern Ireland’s environmental minister proposed a 15p tax on plastic bags to follow suit, and this month some stores will start a three-month trial charging 5p per plastic bag.

Now when will the U.S. jump on board?  Click here to read more

Powered by Bookmarkify™