Boulder likely to impose 10-cent bag fee

[Dr_Fwd]

Link

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Boulder appears likely to begin charging shoppers 10 cents for each paper and plastic bag they use at the grocery store.

The Daily Camera reports city councilmembers voted 7-1 Thursday in favor of an ordinance establishing the fee, which would begin in July. Because part of the original proposal was changed, a fourth reading of the plan is set for Nov. 15.

The fee would apply to paper and plastic bags at food retailers, including convenience stores and Target, but gas station stores would be exempt if food sales are less than 2 percent of their business.

Councilman George Karakehian voted against the proposal in an effort to persuade his colleagues to reconsider the fee and change it to a ban on plastic bags.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[zteknik]

Sounds like Bloomberg had some influence there...

[Dr_Fwd]

Another reason not to go there..

[Ashton]

Glad I live in unincorporated weld county. Don't even pay taxes on food.

[BuffCyclist]

I was told by a bagger at my Walmart (southern new mexico) that Albuquerque has already done this. Walmart has done studies and found its more efficient for their employees to fill a larger bag (cloth) with more items than to fill individual plastic bags. They can therefore process through more transactions because they can bag faster, which earns them more money. And since they no longer have to pay for plastic bags, its cheaper too.

The employee said he didn't care either way, because they have to ring up a certain number of items per hour as employees, so the faster they can get them done the less they have to worry about potentially being fired for not meeting their hourly quota (yes, laugh but thats what he said lol).

I've been using reusable bags since I lived in Boulder (and have since moved away) which is now about 7yrs. They're easier to use, hold a lot more weight and our house is no longer cluttered with bags.

[Dr_Fwd]

I use the plastic bags to clean after my dog...

[BuffCyclist]

I use the plastic bags to clean after my dog...

I do too. And even with using our cloth bags, we still somehow manage to accumulate more bags than our two dogs can fill them. Its an endless cycle.

And yet somehow, my dog doesn't let me just hang a plastic bag from her tail. It would solve all of our problems! I wouldn't have to let her outside, she wouldn't have to worry about where she goes, etc. Win win.

[MrPrena]

Fine.

Environmental factor and cost efficiency wise, I am all up for using my own bag.
However, imposing taxes on consumer is just .......

[Mazin]

Fine.

Environmental factor and cost efficiency wise, I am all up for using my own bag.
However, imposing taxes on consumer is just .......

Yep my thoughts exactly....Like we need another tax.

[rockhound]

boulder never met an environmental tax they didn't like

no big surprise here