Officials move forward with new regulations that will force residents to change shopping habits: 'The only tool we have'

Many governments have been taking steps to ban plastic bags and other single-use plastic items to reduce litter and protect wildlife. 

As an alternative environmental conservation measure, some cities are implementing taxes on disposable bags to keep plastic waste out of local communities. 

As the Bay Journal reported, several Virginia cities have placed a 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags. For example, Richmond's bag tax went into effect Thursday, and Virginia Beach is considering a similar tax this year. 

The Virginia General Assembly passed a law in 2020 authorizing cities in the state to impose plastic bag taxes. 

This is a different approach from municipalities that ban plastic bags entirely. In Virginia, 4 of the 5 cents per plastic bag go toward local waste reduction efforts. The remaining 1 cent goes toward the administrative costs of the businesses complying with the new tax law. 

Eleven Virginia cities have already adopted a plastic bag tax. The tax has generated millions of dollars for litter cleanup programs and reduced the use of plastic bags locally. 

"This bag fee in addressing single-use plastic bags is currently the only tool we have at the state level in terms of enforceable legislation to start to chip away at this global waste crisis," said Dylan Mason from the nonprofit Lynnhaven River Now, which coordinates river cleanup efforts, per the Bay Journal. 

Plastic bag taxes like this one are encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies. 

Local organizations, such as Richmond's Office of Sustainability and Lynnhaven River Now, have distributed thousands of reusable bags to encourage their use instead of plastic bags, which contribute to polluted waterways. 

All of these efforts help us live in cleaner, more beautiful spaces without the risk of plastic toxins in our food and water. Whether plastic bags are taxed or banned entirely, reducing plastic use in any way reduces human health risks and supports thriving wildlife habitats.  

Should plastic grocery bags be banned nationwide? Absolutely 👍 No way 👎 Let each state decide 🤔 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

You can personally use less plastic in daily life by switching to silicone food containers and bringing your own canvas bags to stores. Fortunately, many plastic-free options for everyday products are now practical, readily available, and affordable alternatives. 

"The tax was a motivating factor for me to stop using single use plastic bags," one person commented on a Reddit post about the bag tax in Virginia. 

"Moved here from Maine where they have had a ban for about 5 years," another Redditor shared. "The world didn't stop; people learned to bring cloth bags." 

"Probably has cut my bag usage in half or more," someone else added.

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