Nickel Power: Plastic Bag Use Plummets in Nation's Capital

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2010— -- The nation's capital is witnessing the power of a nickel.

Use of disposable paper and plastic bags in the District of Columbia has plummeted 86 percent since the city first began imposing a fee on their use Jan. 1.

Customers who tote their food or liquor purchases home in store-provided bags are now charged 5 cents for each one they use. The fees go to a fund for cleaning up the city's Anacostia River.

"I'm thrilled with these initial results," said D.C. Council member Tommy Wells.

Fewer than 3 million disposable bags were sold in January 2010, according to a report by the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. That's down from an estimated 22.5 million bags per month used and disposed of by residents in previous months.

"Not only are we reducing the number of disposable bags entering our environment, but we also have new resources flowing to help with the cleanup and restoration of the Anacostia River," Wells said.

The report shows the city collected roughly $150,000 in January for the river cleanup fund. The bag fee is estimated to raise $10 million over four years.

The seemingly small extra charge at checkout has sparked what many are calling a "green revolution" across the city, as consumers adapt to more environmentally conscious ways.

Checkout aisles are lined with assortments of reusable bags from the inexpensive to designer fashion, and commuters are regularly seen carrying the bags tucked under arm or stuffed in their backpacks and briefcases on their way to work.

Many retailers now offer credits to customers who bring their own bags. Grocer Whole Foods, for example, gives shoppers a nickel for each bag they bring in and has discontinued use of plastic bags.

While the District's bag tax law is the first of its kind, other states and municipalities have imposed outright bans on plastic bags or mandated that retailers collect them for recycling.

San Francisco, Calif., became the first U.S. city to impose an outright ban on plastic bags in 2007, and Oakland and Malibu soon followed suit. In June 2009, the North Carolina legislature banned their use in the Outer Banks.