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? » read more