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In Seattle, The Battle Over Plastic Bag Usage Heats Up

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After voters killed a proposal that would charge people 20 cents for each paper or plastic bag they use, anti-plastic/paper bag folks in the Seattle area are now looking to push for an all-out ban of the bags.

The move is inspired by a similar move in San Fransisco, which was able to pass the all-out ban in 2007 also after failing to implement a bag fee. But doesn't this seem like the wrong approach?

I'm not saying that a ban or fee on paper and plastic shouldn't be put in place, but failing to even pass a small fee (and the vote wasn't that close) and then jumping straight into an all-out ban seems a little unlikely to pass. Surely the movement raised awareness, but why not try for a 10-cent fee first and see how that goes before going for broke?

What do you think? Should Seattle ban plastic bags outright or try again to take intermediate steps? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Read More: Seattle Votes Down Fee on Bags (New York Times)

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