[Durham INC] Durham’s 5-cent Bag Fee Starts January 1

[John Schelp]

For immediate release...

Durham’s 5-cent Bag Fee Starts January 1 

Beginning Friday, all businesses in Durham County that sell food must charge customers five cents for every disposable paper or plastic carryout bag.

The bag fee will not apply to bags used for newspapers, produce, hardware, frozen foods, plants, bakery items or prescription drugs. Durham' Trash Reduction Plan indicates that disposable bags are one of the top sources of pollution in local rivers and tributaries (and along roadways).

Customers can avoid paying the five-cent fee (and receive an additional credit at many stores) by bringing their own reusable bags from home.

Free reusable bag distribution:

Local stores have handed out 32,000 reusable bags in November and December, with more to come in January.

Teeter-Lion will give away 250,000 reusable bags in stores beginning Friday.

Whole-Kroger customers can receive a free reusable bag with every $20 purchase.

For more information about the bag fee, please visit http://green.dc.gov/bags 


--> Note: This press release comes to you from the future. If DC can do this, why can't Durham?

50+ creek clean-ups organized by the Friends of South Ellerbe and volunteers are still picking up plastic bags in our streams and near our roadways. As a first step, Durham can establish a 5-cent bag fee, like DC. (Then place deposits on bottles and cans, to help further reduce trash along roadways and creeks.)