The Maine Legislature passed a joint resolution to encourage the public to reduce the use of disposable plastic shopping bags by 50 percent by Earth Day, April 22.

The House of Representatives passed the resolution Wednesday and the Senate voted yes this morning.

The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Ted Koffman, D-Bar Harbor, who submitted legislation to place a tax on the disposable bags as a way to encourage alternatives and pay for waste reduction. The bill never moved forward and Koffman instead worked with the grocery store industry on voluntary promotions.

The resolution urges Gov. John Baldacci and state agencies to help by educating the public about the benefits of reusable bags.

An estimated 10 percent of Maine consumers bring their own shopping bags, according to the House Majority Office.

Fewer than 5 percent of disposable plastic shopping bags are recycled, resulting in about 300 million bags in landfills or incinerators, or littering the state’s waterways and landscape, it said.

A Scarborough-based company called Bulletin Bag also is promoting the effort by sponsoring a contest for Maine students to design a reusable shopping bag. The winning artwork will be printed on 1,000 bags and distributed to contest entrants. Information is available at www.bulletinbag.com.

Governments around the world, including in San Francisco, China and Australia, are banning or discouraging use of the plastic bags. Whole Foods, a grocery chain in Portland, has announced it will phase out all disposal plastic bags at its stores by Earth Day.