Going Green : Eliminate Plastic Bags - New Delhi and Belgium Penalize It's Use

In January 2009, the Government of India imposed a ban on the use of all plastic shopping bags in it's capital city of New Delhi - population 14 million.

A new industry now recycles newspapers into shopping bags. The bags tend to fall apart at the glued seams if they get wet or if the shopping is too heavy. However, Indians are extremely good at innovation and they will come up with a solution that works. I'm looking forward to it spreading to the rest of the country.



In 2007, the Belgium Government penalized country-wide - population 10.6 million - the use of plastics bags, plastic wrap (cling wrap) and plastic cups by heavily taxing the manufacturers and buyers. Supermarkets which provide heavier, reuseable plastics pay the bulk of this tax.

In 2008, the Government raked in a whopping 1.7 million dollars from this tax alone and it will eventually force the users into a new habit - no more unsustainable use of plastic shopping bags.

Here are 30 Tips to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - it's time to get on board, change your thinking, change your habits and save our planet!



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