implement a nominal plastic tax on consumers for using plastic bags in retail stores

Americans use more than 100 billion bags each year,more than 1,500 per family. Most of the plastic bags end up in the ocean, or in a landfill taking 500 or more years to degrade. Plastic does not biodegrade, rather it photo degrades so it breaks into smaller fragments which readily soak up toxins and contaminate soil, waterways, and animals when eaten. 80% of ocean debris comes from land-based waste. Plastic bags are consistently in the top 10 pieces of trash collected on beaches. Last but not least, in the ocean, plastics break down into small plankton sized particles that can outnumber plankton six to one.