a. What are some of the potential benefits of charging fees for and/or banning plastic bags?· Reduce pollution by encouraging reusable bags.· People would change their behavior, and they would adapt to the habit of using reusable bags and stop polluting the environment.· We would achieve to have a cleaner environment.· With the money they get from charging plastic bags, they could help clean up lakes and bays.
b. What are some of the potential drawbacks of such programs?· The plastic bag industry would crash.· The economic climate is affecting people.· It will increase costs and affect businesses.
c. Which benefits and drawbacks seem the most compelling? Why?I think that the most important benefit of doing this would be to achieve a cleaner environment because if we do not start making something NOW later we will suffer the consequences.The drawback that would affect mostly if this happens would be the increase of costs which would be affected by the economic crisis. I think this is the main cause which is slowing the process of accepting such programs.
d. Would you support a local law charging fees for (or banning) plastic bags? Why or why not?Yes, because pollution is a major problem nowadays, and even though the economic crisis is affecting most of the people, they can use reusable bags, which do not imply an extra charge.