NY Sales Tax Rebate For Reusable Bags In the Works

Have you heard about the possible 5 cent fee for plastic bags in NYC? Lawmakers have an alternative to discourage their use.

A 3 cent sales tax rebate for those who use reusable shopping bags, this according to the Times Union.  That's right: for every reusable shopping bag you use when you go shopping, you would get 3 cents off your sales tax.

It does not seem like much, but I guess it is a start. This news comes on the heels of Governor Cuomo delaying a New York City law that would have imposed a 5 cent per bag fee for plastic shopping bags.

It would seem better to enact an incentive to use reusable shopping bags, but will saving a few cents really drive this? And from the other side, will a 5 cent fee really keep shoppers from from using the plastic bags?

I think in the end to discourage their use they just need to outlaw the plastic bags. In fact, get rid of paper too and tell people to bring their own bags to go food shopping. We are all adults, we can handle it. :)