The Seattle City Council voted to ban single-use plastic bags from groceries and other retail stores, joining a growing trend among cities supporting the eco-movement.
The ordinance, which was approved unanimously following months of discussion and debate, takes effect in July 2012. It includes a provision to charge a nickel fee for the use of paper bags, to encourage people to bring their own bags when they go shopping.
The paper bag fee is not unique. In Washington, D.C., businesses that sell food or alcohol must charge 5 cents for each carryout paper or plastic disposable bag.
The ban is expected to reduce pollution, free up landfill space and improve the environment. Seattle’s residents use 292 million plastic bags and 68 million paper bags a year. About 82 percent of paper bags are recycled, while only 13 percent of plastic bags are recycled.
Nearby communities such as Mukilteo, Edmonds, Bellingham and Portland also have banned plastic bags.
Numerous municipalities across the country – including Eugene, Ore., Austin, Texas, and Jackson, Wyo. – are also considering laws to restrict the use of plastic bags.
The Seattle council voted to charge a 20-cent fee on paper and plastic bags in 2008, but the plastics industry spent $1.4 million backing a referendum to overturn it. Voters defeated the fee in 2009.
Officials in the industry haven’t said whether they would launch another referendum, but they have stated they’d push for a statewide bag recycling program similar to those in several states.
Councilmember Mike O’Brien, the bill’s prime sponsor, said he felt the months of work on this proposal, with lots of input from both businesses and environmental groups, resulted in an ordinance that will work for everyone.
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Seattle Plastic Bag Ban
By HH Archive
