Hawaii Becomes First State to Ban Plastic Bags at Checkout

By now, it’s hardly news when a city bans plastic bags at checkout counters — but an entire state? That’s happened in Hawaii, where Honolulu County has joined the state’s three other counties to give Hawaii a first-in-the-nation title.

“Passing the bans did take an effort — change always does — but people seemed to understand the need for such an effort,” said the Sierra Club’s Hawaii spokesperson about the two-year campaign.

After collecting public input on enforcement and cost concerns, retailers were given three years to comply.

(READ the story in MSNBC.com)