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Mar 11, 2008 10:15 am US/Eastern

Plastic Bag Tax Proposed In Mass.

BOSTON (AP) ― If a state lawmaker has his way, shoppers will have something else to think about when they're asked: "Paper or plastic?"
 
Senator Brian Joyce is proposing that consumers be charged 2 cents at the checkout counter for each plastic shopping bag they use. The tax would gradually increase to 15 cents over seven years.

A hearing is scheduled Wednesday on the bill, which the Milton Democrat says is a way to prod consumers into using biodegradable or reusable shopping bags.

Joyce tells the Boston Herald that Americans use 380 billion plastic bags a year, most of which end up as litter or landfill trash.

Opponents of the tax such as Barbara Anderson of Citizens for Limited Taxation say it should be up to retailers and consumers to decide which bags to use.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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