Shoppers seem okay with new D.C. bag tax

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bring a bag or face a 5-cent fee per bag.

Washington's new fee on disposable bags started with the New Year.

District businesses that sell food or alcohol must now charge customers five cents for every disposable bag they hand out. Proceeds will go to cleaning up the Anacostia River.

Patrons can skip the fee, however, by bringing their own bags. Stores may also offer a 5-cent credit on a patron's bill for every bag brought.

For the next few days some stores, including Giant and Safeway, will be giving away reusable bags for free.

"I think it's excellent, and lord knows what it's going to save in landfills," says one shopper at a Giant in Northwest D.C.

Mayor Adrian Fenty signed the fee into law in July, saying it would cut down on disposable bags that dirty the river.