Carolina counties target plastic bags

Plastic bags are common sights at stores across the nation. Unfortunately, they're also ubiquitous far from the checkout line - hanging in trees, skittering across beaches, floating in waterways and piling up in landfills.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue recently signed legislation restricting the use of plastic shopping bags on the Outer Banks. Although more modest in scope than initially proposed, the law is an environmentally and financially progressive move - one that should be expanded to the rest of the state and embraced by lawmakers in Virginia.

A ban on plastic sacks had been discussed periodically in Raleigh, but the idea languished until Senate President Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, introduced a call for a 10- to 25-cent fee on plastic and paper bags this year. The goal was to encourage greater use of cheap, reusable cloth bags, which are now readily available almost anywhere.

As the bill made the rounds in the Capitol, the proposed fees were dropped, and the focus of the restrictions was narrowed to the barrier islands of Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties.

Beginning Sept. 1, plastic shopping bags will no longer be offered on the Outer Banks in stores with more than 5,000 square feet or in stores that are part of retail chains with five or more North Carolina locations. The stores must provide recyclable paper bags instead or offer small discounts to customers who bring in reusable cloth bags.

In addition to the aesthetic gain from reducing litter, the ban will benefit wildlife and marine life - particularly sea turtles - that eat or become entangled in the plastic. Shifting away from disposable bags also will reduce the energy needed to produce the bags and will conserve space in overburdened landfills, where plastic takes many decades - or, by some estimates, centuries - to degrade.

As folks on the Outer Banks prepare for the ban, residents and business statewide are also getting ready for another forward-thinking move - a ban on dumping plastic bottles at landfills and transfer stations.

The North Carolina General Assembly approved the bottle measure four years ago, becoming the first state in the Southeast to do so. The ban is primarily aimed at conserving expensive space at landfills. Recycling centers are gearing up to take the influx, including a new $50-million plant under construction in Fayetteville.

As with most changes in day-to-day routines, there will be a period of adjustment for residents and businesses. But, as the environmental and financial benefits become clearer, the changes will become second nature - so much so that North Carolina's innovations are likely to become commonplace in other states, including, one day, in Virginia.