Grad student Nicole Mendelsohn explains why stores should charge fees for bags

Cleveland, Cuyahoga County collaborate on curbing plastic bags

The Plain Dealer: Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are working together to get rid of plastic grocery bags. Graduate student Nicole Mendelsohn wrote a paper for a class arguing that it makes economic sense for grocery stores to stop providing free plastic bags and instead charge a fee for paper or plastic. “Bans cause outrage,” she said. “A tax structure. . . you’re giving people a reason to pause. Ultimately the tax should be high enough to get people to think twice about it, but low enough that it’s still affordable.”