Paper or plastic?

An article in the Christian Science Monitor reports that in an effort to curb waste and generate revenue, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has called for a 6-cent fee for every plastic shopping bag given to shoppers. Under the proposal, for each bag, 1 cent would go to the retailer and 5 cents would go to the city. Officials estimate that the surcharge could bring in $16 million a year, offering a revenue boost to a city that faces a $4 billion deficit over the next two years.The surcharge is technically considered a fee, not a tax, so it needs only to be approved by New York’s City Council, not the state legislature. While this is considered a lower hurdle, the proposal’s passage is by no means assured, according to The New York Times.