Ireland hopes to cut waste with plastic grocery bag tax

Money motivates. That’s what Irish politicians are hoping as they double the tax on plastic bags to keep people from polluting the environment.

Ireland was the first nation to introduce such a tax in 2002. It started at 15 euro cents per bag. Now, an environmental bill is looking to raise the amount per bag from 22 to 44 euro cents, equal to 59 U.S. cents.

The country’s Department of the Environment Minister John Gormley is expected to draft legislation in October for the increase.

“I am encouraged somewhat by previous environmental taxes that we introduced such as the plastic bag levy which initially met with certain resistance,” the Green Party leader said.

The Associated Press reports the Irish plastic bag levy has already brought in more than $175 million in revenue.

According to the Irish government’s Web site, the plastic bag levy had a dramatic effect when it was first enacted. Bag usage per resident dropped from 328 bags per year to just 21.

However, in the next four years usage increased to 31 bags, which convinced the government to increase the levy in 2007.

A spokesman told the Irish Times the bill will make sure there’s a “sufficient deterrent against people moving back to plastic bags.”

But Ireland isn’t alone in lifting its nose to throw-away bags. United Nations Environment Program Director Achim Steiner said the bags should be “banned or phased out rapidly everywhere,” according to a McClatchy report.

One report estimates the number of bags thrown away in the U.S. each year at a whopping 90 million.

The message here should be clear: Shoppers aren’t going to give up plastic bags without some incentive. It’s worked in Ireland and other countries, and it should be done in the U.S. as well. We have a deposit on pop cans to keep them out of the trash, why should other garbage be any different.