Dublin
Irish shops have cut back their use of plastic bags by 90 percent since a tax on the bags was introduced five months ago. Faced with the prospect of paying 10 cents per bag, shoppers are opting instead to bring their own, reusable canvas totes to the markets. Environmentalist groups supported the tax as a way to reduce litter. Already, a billion fewer bags are in circulation compared with the same period last year, Environment Minister Martin Cullen said. “The reduction has been immediate,” he added, “and the positive visual impact on the environment is plain to see.”
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