San Francisco was the first to ban their use, back in March of 2007. Shortly after, cities around North America have begun to implement either a complete ban on plastic bag usage, or have decided to put in place a fee for their use (often 5 cents).
Origins of Plastic Bag Fee:
Plastic bags arose in the 1970's as an alternative to the paper bag. They gained popularity due to their durability, light-weight, and re-usability.
Yet despite these benefits, the environmental impacts of plastic bags are devastating: these small items alone represent 1% of all trash in landfills, mostly due to their one-time use by many customers. The plastic in these bags can take up to 1,000 years to be broken down and re-introduced into the environment, and the little plastic bags have begun to litter beaches, parks, and even our oceans. San Francisco implemented their band after realizing that the city of 740,000 people send over 2 million bags per year into landfills and the environment.
