A tax on plastic bags: What’s next?

Starting on January, 1st 2010, Washington, D.C. will require businesses that sell food or alcohol to impose a 5 cent tax on each plastic bag used by a consumer. At first, you might think this will lead to an increased grocery bill, but it will actually lead to a larger shopping bill in general.

According to the article, any store which sells food must impose the tax. That means that supermarkets, convenience stores, drug stores, bakeries, and larger retailers will also be charging for bags, since they sell food. Sure, you can buy reusable bags to avoid the 5 cent tax, but are you going to bring the bags into nearly every store you visit?

D.C. officials say the money will be used to clean up the Anacostia river, which according to them, has been ravaged by the scourge of plastic bags. They are framing this law as a way to clean up the environment, but it actually looks like nothing more than another scheme to separate citizens from their money. If you think I’m wrong, then consider that the tax also applies to paper bags, which are biodegradable. Besides this, many stores already run a bag exchange where shoppers can return their bags to be recycled.

There is a good chance that your city or state is facing financial problems and will be looking for a new source of revenue, since many public officials don’t like to cut spending. What better way to raise money than to slip in a very small, but ultimately substantial tax that is camouflaged as an environmental bill? Get used to it, because it’s coming to a town near you.