Trader Joes decided to tackle the plastic/paper bag recycling in a manner far more sensitive to its customers –and far more likely to succeed–than our government.

While the District Government’s goal is to increase its revenue, this regressive* “tax” does nothing to solve the underlying problem of cleaning up the Anacostia River, its stated purpose. Nor does it promise to increase the tax base sufficiently to offset the gap in services funding. Yet, our Trader Joes has taken this governmental loser and transformed it into a win/win. You will not only not be charged five cents, when you bring a grocery bag to Trader Joes for reuse, you will also be credited with 5 cents toward your grocery bill. Our City rejected this option, one that is working well elsewhere in the country. Thanks, Ron Cocome, FB resident and Pres. Emeritus of FBA

* (It penalizes families by charging those who require more than they can carry to the store; and the American males who have not yet begun carrying purses.)