ReusableBags.com Supports Proposed Seattle Bag Fee and Offers Plastic Bag Alternatives
08.17.2009 – (Chicago, IL)- Last year, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels proposed a 20-cent-per-bag fee on plastic and paper grocery bags that was later passed by the Seattle City Council. Tuesday, August 18th, Referendum 1, the Seattle Bag Fee, will go up for public vote.
ReusableBags.com, the leading online source for reusable products and information on the problems relating to use-and-toss items, strongly supports the fee. Earlier this year, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels called the company for help in raising money and awareness for the issue, and the company jumped on board, donating $5,000 to the Seattle Green Bag Campaign.
“In the six years this company has been around, Seattle''s proposed bag fee is the most important piece of legislation we''ve seen to help reduce the consumption of "use-and-toss" bags,” stated ReusableBags.com founder Vincent Cobb.
Based on Ireland’s PlasTax, which reduced plastic bag consumption by more than 90%, this piece of legislation is a first of its kind in the U.S. Although San Francisco banned plastic bags in 2007 and many cities across the nation are considering the ban, Cobb says there is a difference in the measured success of a ban versus a consumption-based fee.
“Consumption-based fees are progressive, market-based solutions that help capture the true costs of paper and plastic bags,” said Cobb. “Bag bans are an emotional response to an economic problem, indiscriminately targeting plastic bags, and they are just not a practical, long term solution.”
If Referendum 1 passes, the majority of fee revenue will go toward waste prevention, recycling programs and environmental education programs, as well as subsidizing the cost of reusable bags for lower income shoppers.
The purpose of a bag fee is to change consumer behavior, not fatten city coffers. By charging enough for a plastic bag, consumers will stop and think at the checkout line.
ReusableBags.com acts as a hub on the issue, providing information, myth-busting and sound solutions, and was instrumental in bringing the plastic bag issue into the mainstream discussion. The site includes tips for consumers on how to go on a “consumption diet,” and the Bag Ticker on the homepage constantly reminds customers of the number of plastic bags consumed this year. ReusableBags.com offers a large selection of reusables, with over 700 products and a loyal customer base of over 200,000. As of 2009, these customers have been empowered to save an estimated 760 million use-and-toss items.
The trend to use reusable shopping bags has coincided with the overwhelming consumer demand in the last few years for alternatives to plastic water bottles. This is evident in the company’s rapid growth. “Sales have grown 300% each year since 2004,” said Vice President of Operations Brad Nihls.
Vincent Cobb is also the original creator of the compact reusable shopping bag, launching the ACME Workhorse model in 2002, which at 1.5oz is the lightest weight reusable shopping bag on the market, and remains one of the company’s best sellers.
According to Cobb, “Lightweight, strong and convenient, plastic bags are a brilliant product. However, the fatal flat lies in their short life cycle. We set out to improve on this with the ACME Workhorse, making it ultra-compact for portability and extremely durable, so it can be used thousands of times.
Recognized as a leader and innovator, ReusableBags won Co-Op America’s prestigious Green Business of the Year People’s Choice Award in 2007. ReusableBags is also an authentic triple bottom line company, supporting Fair Trade practices and donating 1% of all sales via 1% For The Planet.
For more information on the Seattle Green Bag Campaign, go to www.ReusableBags.com
- Twitter Pitch
- ReusableBags.com supports the Seattle Bag Fee, up for public vote on August 18th.
- Tweet It!
- News Facts
-
- Introduced just over 25 years ago, our plastic bag addiction is now estimated at well over 500,000,000,000 (that's 500 billion) plastic bags annually, or almost 1 million per minute.
- Single-use bags made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) accumulate and last for 1,000 years
- In 2001, Ireland used 1.2 billion disposable plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag tax, or PlasTax, introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%
- Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic.
- According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
- Resource Links
- None
- Share via
- Embed Via Docstoc
- More Reuseit.com News
- Reuseit.com Launches Search for Online Ambassador Team
- ReusableBags.com Wins Green America’s People’s Choice Award for the Second Time
- Reuseit.com's Top Ten Holiday Gifts That Help People Consume Less
- ReusableBags.com Named Finalist for 2009 Green Business of the Year
-
Visit Newsroom
Subscribe
PitchEngine™ is not responsible or liable for the accuracy, validity or quality of this content. Users are solely responsible for the facts and accuracy of all information posted and shared on the Site. PitchEngine reserves the right to reject or hold social media releases that it deems not newsworthy in its judgment, at any time.
Limitation of Liability - In no event will PitchEngine be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary or consequential damages (Including, but not limited to, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of programs or information, and the like). This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury under any cause of action, including, without limitation, those caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus or bug, communication line failure, theft, destruction or alteration of or unauthorized access to the Site or materials on the Site.
© Copyright 2009 PitchEngine, Inc.
Download vCards
Ask a Question or Add Your Comment