Italy decided to start the new year off right by completely banning plastic bags in the country.
Italians were using 20 BILLION bags per year – more than 330 per person, and was about 1/5 of the bags used in Europe. However, starting January 1st, retailers were required to distribute biodegradable plastic, cloth or paper bags instead. Italy joins the ranks of Mexico City & San Fran to implement a complete plastic bag ban, which Philadelphia failed to pass in June 2009. (However, retailers with Philly locations like IKEA & Whole Foods have banned plastic bags internally.)
Other cities have imposed taxes on plastic bags:
City Council voted against the plastic bag ban the Committee on the Environment passed last week. According to Philly.com, Councilman Frank 
DiCicco’s bill was rejected by Council this morning in a 6-10 vote.
Word is that
Good news – Philly is thisclose to banning an environmental catastrophe – in the form of plastic bags.
Yesterday, Philly’s City Council’s Committee on the Environment voted unanimously to approve legislation banning plastic bags used in supermarkets, pharmacies and stores. The typical plastic bags must be replaced after July 1, 2011 with recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags or reusable bags.
Part of the ban will also include
