Illinois May Start Charging For Plastic Bags

Paper or plastic? I feel like I never get asked that when I go shopping. The bagger usually just starts filling up those plastic bags, I start loading them in the cart, and we all move on with our lives. That may not be the case in the near future and it might be time to invest in those reusable bags.

A proposed bill in Illinois would charge a ten cent fee on plastic bags according to WREX.

Opponents for the bill point to just another fee that Illinois will charge to its residents without anyone really certain the money will be going to what it should be.

Proponents of the bill point to the fact that plastic bags are one of the most picked up items volunteers grab when cleaning up and that they take so long to break down and recycle that they are terrible for the environment.

There are currently 8 states that have a plastic bags fee, one of them being Delaware. I asked a friend of mine who used to live there until recently about her experience with the law there. She told me that you really don't notice or care after a few times. There's paper bags offered in their place and even she said the reusable bags are great except for when you forget them at home.

Should Illinois charge a fee for plastic bags that are hurting the environment or just leave things alone? Tell us in the comments!