Florida environmental officials are trying to make their state the first to ban single-use plastic AND paper bags. Their stance is that manufacturing paper bags creates as much pollution as disposing of plastic bags. Disposable plastic bags are a headache for those who maintain storm drains and landfill machinery and are a source of litter across landscapes and on ocean currents.

Floridians used more than 5 billion disposable plastic and paper bags in 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available. But state environmental officials aren't deterred. They are following the lead of San Francisco and other communities by proposing to ban the bags completely .

The DEP's proposal, quietly released yesterday, targets the disposable bags provided by a wide variety of businesses, from supermarkets to fast-food restaurants, convenience stores to dry cleaners. The far reaching ban would include grocery story bags, clothing store bags, “big-box” retailer bags, outer wrappings on fast food and paper bags from fast food restaurants, dry cleaners’ bags, and food delivery bags.

But there are exceptions to the rule: bags for produce and sub sandwiches - carryout containers, tissue, bubble plastic used to cushion delicate items, and newspaper bags are all exempt from the proposed ban.The ban would follow a five-year phase-out using escalating fees for the use of plastic or paper bags—a nickel during the first year, up to a quarter in the fifth year—until the ban takes effect in 2015. Of course, not everyone is on board. The fee structure is already drawing criticism as a type of tax.

While we wait to see how this pans out in Florida, Halloween IS right around the corner, and if you’re wondering what to do with your extra bags, we have some ideas. From bag lady to bride, ballerina to monster—you can use plastic bags to craft a one-of-a-kind costume.

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