Florida To Ban Bags?

Florida might be the first state to ban paper and plastic shopping bags. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) wants to eliminate paper and plastic shopping bags used in grocery stores and retail outlets. It will present a report to the Florida legislature about the benefits of such a policy by February 2010. The proposed ban would introduce a five-cent deposit for every non-reusable shopping bag, which would incrementally increase to 25 cents per bag by 2014. By 2015, the bags would be banned completely. Plastic and paper bags make up two percent of Florida’s litter, according to the DEP.