Does Ireland Point the Way for Bali?

The 2002 introduction of a 33 cent per bag tax on plastic bags in Ireland may point the way for reducing the plastic bags that litter Bali's streets, clog its sewers, pollute its waters and have become permanent fixture at the Island's landfills. Launched simultaneously with a massive advertising awareness campaign, the tax on plastic bags managed to transform Irish society. Just weeks after the tax's introduction, plastic bag use in Ireland declined by 94%, while re-useable cloth bags have become more indispensable than, say, an umbrella or a hat. People seen carrying plastic bags in Ireland receive the kind of unenthusiastic public reception once reserved for rich ladies in fur coats, pets that soiled walkways or a cigar smoker in crowded restaurants.

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