Effective in July 2012, plastic bags will be banned in Seattle. This marks the latest in a series of plastic bag bans. Last year California attempted to pass a statewide ban, but to no avail. However, Washington DC has had a ban in place for a few years now. For a list of the pros and cons of both paper and plastic bags, click here.
NPR reports that there is “a provision to charge a nickel fee for the use of paper bags.” The Seattle Post Intelligencer mentions that this is the city’s second foray in the bag ban. “In 2008, after the Council adoped a 20-cent fee on the bags, the plastics industry spent $1.4 million to crush the measure. Voters repealed the fee in 2009.”
The ban is fairly comprehensive. It includes “single-use, carryout bags in not just grocery stores, but department stores, clothing stores, liquor stores, drug stores and home improvement stores.”
According to NPR, San Jose, California – a larger city than Seattle – has a ban that goes into effect on the first of the year. In addition, a “plastic bag ban in Los Angeles County, but not the city, went into effect in July.” Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington DC, has also moved forward on legislation banning the bags.
One of the most beneficial aspects of reusable bags (whether cloth or those made using materials created from recycled plastic) is their durability and capacity. They can often carry much more volume and weight than plastic bags. This is on top of the oft cited issues that plastic bags have with taking up space in landfills and disrupting the aquatic food chain.
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