I rarely weigh in my opinion on the information that I post but I am proud of what Senator Basnight has done with banning the plastic bags. The Outer Banks should be a model of responsible and sustainable behavior since we market ourselves as environmentally appealing to our visitors. Here is the article from the News & Observer in Raleigh, remember, it still has to pass the House:
Outer Banks bag ban wins Senate approval
Outer Banks shoppers at large retailers would have the option of paper or nothing under a bill the Senate approved Wednesday.
The legislation, which passed 47-1, would prohibit those stores from using plastic shopping bags. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, is pushing the bill, which applies to Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties.
Basnight said the flimsy bags have turned into post-purchase tumbleweeds polluting the landscape of the Outer Banks, which relies on its landscape to attract tourists.
The bill's chief sponsor, Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, described the bill as a pilot program that could go statewide. The goal is to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags, such as the cloth totes sold at grocery stores, and eventually to eliminate paper and plastic bags.
Nearly 20 states have considered or imposed legislation regulating plastic bags, but only the city of San Francisco has banned them.
Retailers argue that paper bags made from recycled material, which are permitted by the bill, cost more and that retrofitting stores that are set up for plastic bags will create costs that are passed along to customers. The wiser approach, they argue, is to encourage or even mandate recycling.
Staff writer Mark Johnson
