No Plastic Bags

What is a Plas Tax?
In March of 2002, the Republic of Ireland became the first country to introduce a plastic bag tax, (PlasTax). Designed to rein in their consumption of 1.2 billion plastic shopping bags per year, the tax resulted in a 90% drop in consumption. The approximately $9.6 million raised from the tax in the first year, was earmarked for a green fund established to benefit the environment. Several other countries and cities around the world are now considering implementing a similar tax, including UK, Australia, New York City and San Francisco.

How does it work?
The purpose is to change consumer behavior, not to generate revenue. It's a simple market-based solution in the form of a consumption tax - individuals pay a tax of $.15 per plastic bag consumed at check out. Retailers save money since they only have to stock a smaller quantity of bags (in Ireland, on average they were spending $50 million a year on single-use plastic bags before the tax). Many retailers are also now benefiting from selling reusable bags.

What are the results?
In Ireland, consumption has dropped approximately 90%, from 1.2 billion to 230 million per year. Litter has been dramatically reduced and approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to reduced production of bags.