Plastic Bag Ban Now in Effect

Washington’s statewide plastic bag ban was originally slated to begin January of 2021. Implementation was delayed due to supply chain issues of reusable bags related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 13, the
Governor set the single-use plastic bag ban effective date for October 1, 2021.

The ban applies to: all retail, grocery, and convenience stores; any restaurant or establishment offering takeout or delivery food or goods; temporary stores or vendors; and any event where food or goods are sold or distributed.

Customers are encouraged to utilize reusable bags. Here’s what you should know:

• Businesses will be required to either provide recycled content paper bags or thicker, reusable plastic bags both with an 8-cent charge per bag or provide compostable bags.
• There are some exemptions, including bags that contain or wrap items where dampness or sanitation might be a problem, bags that contain unwrapped prepared foods or bakery goods, food establishment single-use bags that do not have handles, and smaller paper bags to prevent cross-contamination with ready-to-eat foods.
• Customers also will be allowed to use their own shopping bags.
• Sales tax on the $0.08 applies, and businesses can deduct the collected fees from their B&O tax.
• DOE will review reports of non-compliance and follow up with businesses to ensure their understanding of the new law. Repeated non-compliance may result in penalties.
• Dept. of Ecology advise any business using up inventory of non-compliant single-use bags may be considered for enforcement discretion on a case-by-case basis; DOE may require documentation such as invoices or receipts showing that the bags were purchased before the announcement of the new start date.

The Governor’s proclamation only delayed the start date of the ban, not any of the internal dates (like the June deadline for using up existing bag inventories). DOE are planning for full implementation and responding to complaints of non-compliance beginning October 1, 2021.

Note: Beginning July 1, 2022, the post-consumer recycled content percentage for reusable plastic carryout bags increases from 20% to 40%; Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the thickness requirements for the reusable plastic film bags increases from 2.25 mil to 4 mil and the required charge for these bags increases from 8 cents to 12 cents (paper bags continue to be available for only 8 cents).

The Washington State Department of Ecology created a downloadable and printable toolkit that provides information about the new law to both customers and workers. For more information about this ban, go to ecology.wa.gov/bag-ban or contact Shannon Jones, DOE Western Washington Recycling Coordinator at (360) 742-9874.