Grocery Bag Fees? Bring it on!

City Commissioner/Mayor-elect Sam Adams is proposing a fee on disposable grocery store bags. The purpose of the fee, which could be anywhere from 5-20 cents, is to encourage more people to shop with re-usable bags. Other cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle have already adopted similar programs, not to mention European cities (many of which have banned plastic bags altogether due to their impact on the environment).

One of my pet peeves has always been grocery checkers who, without bothering to ask, simply place my items into a plastic bag, even if I only bought a few things (which is why I always bring my own reusable bags now). I understand the employees are just doing their jobs and that it’s the companies training them who need to readjust their thinking. But sometimes for change to happen, it has to come at the government level. This is an important and symbolic proposal, and the kind of initiative I hope to see much more of in the coming years from Sam Adams, who is also a proponent of green energy, improved public transportation and expanded bike lanes. What makes Portland a great city is its ability to think ahead of the curve and make changes before the problem is out of control. And while this proposal is perhaps just a baby step toward a more waste-free city, it is nonetheless a move in the right direction. I hope the City Commission and citizens of Portland can rally around this initiative and get it passed.