But is it fair to pass the externalities onto someone else - you get your prosciutto and someone else gets the mess? That's doesn't seem right to me.

As opposed to an arbitrary tax discourage something I would whole-heartedly support that the cost of all products includes the cost of all externalities.

Maybe people on a budget should wait in the deli line for their prosciutto, or buy something cheaper.

Only fair is to ban non-degradable packaging altogether. Give companies a year or two of transitional period and then heavily fine companies not implementing the ban.

> Tax will not make it go away, only make it more expensive to people on a budget

This is a matter of the size of the tax. If a Snickers bar was slapped with a $30 plastic tax, you can be sure Snickers would not come wrapped in plastic tomorrow.

It would come "from the back of the van". If there is a demand and supply vacuum (product not available at a price majority of people who wants it can afford), then you'll find brave people wanting to make extra money on the side and simply dealing these.