Plastic Bag News

Plastic Bag Ban in Seattle
In July, the City Council [of Seattle] approved a 20-cent fee, starting in January, for each disposable paper or plastic bag used at grocery, drug and convenience stores. While other U.S. cities have banned plastic bags, Seattle is believed to be the first to discourage use by charging a fee. Although the new fee may force Seattle residents to permanently alter their shopping habits, council members said the environmentally correct behavior will become natural, just like recycling.

The city plans to give at least one free, reusable bag to each household, and the council directed Seattle Public Utilities to come up with a plan by the end of November on how to provide extra bags to low-income residents.

Backlash
NPR reprts that not all Seattle residents are happy about the ban. Listen to Seattle's Bag-User Fee Spurs Backlash.

What do you think would happen if (and that's a big IF) something similar was passed in Memphis?

In other news...

Plastic bag Art
This is by far one of the coolest public art projects I have ever seen. (Technically defined as "Street Art.") NYU art student Joshua Allen has been making animals out of discarded plastic bags. He ties the bags to the ventilation grates above the subway lines so that when the subway rushes through underneath, the animal jumps up and springs to life.

Take a look:

Polar bears!


The Loch Ness Monster!


And there's even a gorilla climbing a building!


There's lots more to see on YouTube...and NPR also has a story you can listen to N.Y. Student Recycles Plastic Bags as Subway Art.