Matthew Albright

The News Journal

Grocery stores could soon be required to charge 5 cents for each plastic bag customers use if a bill in the General Assembly becomes law.

"We have a major problem with recycling here in Delaware," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Deborah Hudson, R-Fairthorne. "We've got to stop stuffing the landfills with these bags that don't biodegrade."

Not only do the plastic bags pile up in landfills, they are a major source of litter, Hudson argued. When they get into the water, they frequently end up harming wildlife.

State government would not collect money from the fees. Instead, grocery stores would use the money to track how many bags they distribute and promote the use of reusable bags.

Hudson points out some store chains either don't use plastic bags or, like Sav-A-Lot, already charge for them.

"This is not really something that should be shocking to people," she said.

The bill only applies to chain stores. Smaller "mom and pop" stores are exempt.

Julie Wenger, executive director of the Delaware Food Industry Council, said her group would not oppose the bill since it leaves the fee in the hands of the stores rather than taxing them.

"There's really not an appetite for a ban on bags, so this does seem like a good compromise," Wenger said. "Implementing something like this absolutely still gives the customers the choice. They can choose to bring reusable bags or they could choose to continue to use the plastic bags."

Some industry groups oppose the bill. In a letter to lawmakers, Delaware Manufacturing Association Chairman Brian Nixon pointed out that the companies Formosa Plastics and AB Group Packaging both operate facilities in the state.

"Both companies are important employers in our state, and the General Assembly would send a terrible signal to these and other manufacturers," Nixon wrote.

Nixon questioned the real environmental impact of the bill, arguing consumers would need to frequently reuse more durable cotton bags for the environmental impact of manufacturing them to outweigh the impact of using cheaper plastic bags.

The bill has bipartisan support. Hudson, the House minority whip, and the House minority leader, Rep. Danny Short, D-Seaford, join about a dozen Democrats in their chamber as co-sponsors.

Some lawmakers want to go further.

Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Bellefonte, has proposed an amendment that would outright ban one-use bags after five years of the fee. The amendment also would send the money collected from the fee to the Delaware Recycling Fund and the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Fund.

"The goal should be to reduce the use of these bags, but also to clean up the environment," said Heffernan, an environmental toxicologist. "When these environmental groups come in and tell us how bad things are, it makes me think we need to be dedicating this money to that."

Heffernan said she worried whether the state would be able to make sure that the stores were using the fee for the intended purpose and not simply using it to make extra money.

Wenger said her organization would "adamantly oppose" that amendment.

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"We can't support a tax on any particular type of product or good," she said. "We also think customers should have a choice."

Hudson said she does not back the amendment, arguing the bill in its current form was worked out through exhaustive negotiations.

In 2009, Delaware started requiring grocery stores to provide recycling for plastic bags.

Other states are considering either full bans on one-use bags or imposing fees. Lawmakers in New Jersey are considering both a 5-cent fee and a ban.

In 2014, California was the first state to enact a full ban on the bags. New York City imposed a charge, and the state legislature there is considering implementing one state-wide.

Environmental activists praise attempts to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.

Last month, the Sierra Club of Delaware organized an event where volunteers rolled plastic bags into a 4-foot wide ball, aiming to create a new world record.

"We strongly support this bill," said volunteer and outreach coordinator Stephanie Herron. "It's one of our top priorities."

Herron said the goal is to make using the bags an intentional act, not something people do automatically.

"People walk past plastic bags in a tree or in a gutter or in the river and they think 'that's a shame,' but it's not connected to their own personal actions," Herron said. "This would turn a trip to the grocery store into a teachable moment."

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@delawareonline.com (302) 324-2428 or on Twitter @TNJ_malbright.