Should Rochester Ban Plastic Bags, Too? – [POLL]
Bigger cities in Minnesota have passed bans on plastic bag use that will go into effect this summer. Should Rochester follow suit?
In June, the plastic bag ban will go into effect in Minneapolis. With the ban, there will also be a five-cent surcharge for paper bags. It sounds like Duluth will be the next to pass the ban.
I shop at Aldi all the time, and they already have a plan for plastic bags. You pay for all your bags, or bring your own reusable ones. You can get plastic bags, but they are better for the environment. At Trader Joe's, they only use paper bags.
According to KARE, "Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen of Alexandria wants to trash that bag ban, with a bill that would prohibit local cities from limiting the types of bags retailers and consumers can use. It would also bar cities from enacting local fees aimed at curbing the use of disposable bags." The debate has moved to the State Capital. Other people are arguing that the ban should be the city's decision.
The plastic bags are not environmentally friendly, and they’re a huge litter problem. However, they are also inexpensive for retailers and easy for consumers to use.
So what do you think? Should Rochester have a city wide ban on plastic bag use?