Austin Texas Bans the Bag

Austin, Texas
Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Oregon
West Hollywood

These and more communities are banning plastic (polyethylene) single-use bags from being handed out in retail stores. Communities all have the same initial responses: grumbles from people not wanting to change, concerns about germs, and concerns about shoplifting.

But communities around the world continue to have huge issues with overflowing landfill, and are passing single-use plastic bag bans as a way to reduce waste.

Fort McMurray remains a leader by banning all single-use bags - those made of paper, biodegradable and compostable fibers as well. This is because they don't compost in a landfill situation, where waste is piled so deeply that the organisms that do the eating and composting can't survive.