Wall Street Journal: Capital Takes Bag Tax in Stride

This Wall Street Journal article discusses the bag tax that took effect in Washington DC in January of this year.  The five-cent tax applies to disposable carryout bags (paper and plastic) at all stores in DC and "has spurred a big change in behavior with little evident griping."  By the end of the first year, consumption of these bags is expected to decrease by an estimated 50-75%.

The main problem with implementation reported was the lack of initial public education regarding how the revenue is divided.  Most of the money goes to the city and the river clean-up, and a smaller portion is kept by the retailers.