By Marcy Stamper
The state’s ban on single-use plastic bags has been postponed again. It now won’t take effect until the state’s year-old COVID emergency is lifted.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation delaying the ban — along with 25 other emergency orders — on Jan. 19. The Legislature also passed a resolution extending the emergencies.
Inslee said the ban was delayed because manufacturers of the reusable plastic bags that will be permitted have repurposed their factories to make personal protective equipment during the pandemic. The pandemic also boosted consumer demand for take-out food and groceries, which increased the use of paper and plastic bags at a time when alternatives to single-use plastic bags are scarce, Inslee said.
The ban on single-use bags — and paper bags that don’t contain enough recycled paper — was already delayed once, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31. A bill introduced in the House would delay the ban until June 30.
There are some exceptions in the bag ban, passed by the Legislature last March. Bags for bulk items such as fruit and vegetables, nuts and grains, candy, and small hardware items will be permitted. Plastic bags can also be used for unwrapped prepared foods, bakery items, and meat and fish. Bags for newspapers, laundry, and pet waste, as well as retail packages of food-storage and garbage bags, are allowed.
Reusable bags that can carry at least 22 pounds and hold up to at least 125 uses will be permitted. They will cost 8 cents through the end of 2025 and increase to 12 cents the following year. Customers using food stamps and the nutritional program for Women, Infants, and Children don’t have to pay the fee.
Both plastic and paper bags will have to contain a minimum amount of postconsumer recycled material.
Reducing plastic-bag waste holds particular importance, the Legislature said, because plastic accumulates in waterways and oceans, threatening animal life and the food chain. Plastic bags also contribute to litter and clog machinery at recycling facilities, they said.
