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Plastic bag bans are currently being considered in Baltimore, MD, Oakland and Santa Monica, CA, New Haven, CT and Boston, MA. In 2007, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to enact a ban on plastic bags.

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A Plastic Tax instituted in Ireland in 2002,a fee on all plastic shopping bags at the check-out, led to a 90% drop in consumption in one year.

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Brian Joyce, a Milton Democrat in the Massachusetts Senate, representing Norfolk, Bristol and the Plymouth District, has filed legislation that aims to gently persuade consumers not to choose plastic bags by introducing a small fee on plastic bags at the checkouts of large retail stores. Customers would be exempt if they brought their own reusable bags, request a paper bag, uses a compostable bag provided by the store, or reused a plastic bag. The bill would give people a financial motivation to protect our environment.

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The informed choice is reusable bags made from organic cotton (canvas) that can last for many years. One reusable bag can replace nearly 1000 plastic bags over its lifetime.