Everett City Council To Consider Ban On Plastic Carry-out Bags

On Wednesday night the Everett City Council will get a briefing and first reading on an ordinance designed to limit the use of plastic carry out bags at stores in Everett, Washington.

It’s not really an outright ban on all plastic bags as there are many exceptions including plastic bags for meat, produce, bulk items in grocery stores, small items like nuts and bolts in hardware stores, dry cleaning bags, bags for newspapers, garbage bags and others.

The real target is single use plastic bags used primarily in the check out counters at grocery and convenience stores. Paper bags that are not made from recyclable material are also being frowned upon.

Retailers would be able to pass-through a charge of 5 cents per bag provided to customers who do not bring their own bag to carry out their groceries. People on public assistance and food bank patrons would be exempt from the pass-through charge.

The ordinance being proposed is modeled after laws on the books in Seattle, San Francisco, Kirkland and even Europe and Ireland. You can click here to see the entire ordinance being introduced to the Everett City Council.

Retailers could apply for an exemption if they can show that the ban on single use bags causes them a hardship.

This Wednesday night is the first reading of the ordinance with a public hearing and vote set for Wednesday October 31st.