Countdown to the Seattle plastic-bag ban: 2 weeks away

| Environment | West Seattle news

(Graphic from a city flyer available in 15 languages, here)
A visit to the grocery store tonight reminded us that the city’s plastic-bag ban takes effect in exactly two weeks – starting July 1st – so it’s probably just about time for a barrage of reminders to start kicking into high gear. The City Council passed it six months ago, so you’ve had time to stock up on reusable totes if you don’t want to pay the nickel charge for paper bags, which is noted on both the city graphic above and the West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) home page (their line “We don’t want to have to charge you; please remember your bags!”) – note that it’s a nickel MINIMUM, so it’s up to stores to decide whether to charge you 5 cents, or more, for a paper bag. Metropolitan Market (also a WSB sponsor) already has an incentive program for bringing your own bags – Admiral store director Glen Hasstedt explains, “Metropolitan Market has a program called Nickels for the Neighborhood. For every reusable bag a customer brings in to use at checkout, Metropolitan Market donates a nickel to a local organization whose endeavors support of our environment or ecology.” (Last year, they chose People for Puget Sound as the beneficiary, and donated $5,280.)

**Tuesday 6/19 update: This program is evolving starting July 1st, according to Metropolitan Market – they’ll continue to make donations, but the individual stores will be making decisions on beneficiaries, and you won’t be asked about it at the checkout stand. MM’s Brad Halverson says they’re also very proud to have a high rate of bag reuse already, long before the ban kicks in.**

(back to original story) Still have questions about the bag ban? Here’s an FAQ from Zero Waste Seattle; there are more informational links on City Councilmember Mike O’Brien‘s website.

AlkiAnne June 17, 2012 (9:00 pm)

Does this include stores like Macy’s or others located in a mall? If its going to be compared to “…many, many countries (such as Europe)…” which is isn’t a country btw, then it should be noted that in many of these countries people are only charged for plastic bags in grocery stores and not in stores such as clothing stores, drug stores, or other types of retail outlets found in shopping districts.

WSB June 17, 2012 (9:07 pm)

Yes, all types of retail, according to everything I have found. Clothing stores used to have lovely paper shopping bags back in the day, and I would suppose they’ll offer them again. That’s the next followup is, checking with specific retailers about their plans, but we just thought for starters we’d sound the two-week warning … TR

Sue June 17, 2012 (9:15 pm)

I used to love the old paper bags from department stores. I actually still have one from Ohrbachs, a NYC store that closed 25 years ago. The things one finds hidden in storage. :)

WSB June 17, 2012 (9:19 pm)

Hey! We had Ohrbach’s in Southern California too! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohrbach's …

GayCynic June 17, 2012 (9:21 pm)

Guess we’ll be doing our grocery shopping at the Roxbury Safeway and our other shopping in Tukwila.

Maybe you could run a piece on good places to shop outside of the reach of the Seattle City Council?

coffee June 17, 2012 (9:32 pm)

Really its not that difficult to remember to bring your bags. I keep a huge stack in the car. After about a month you don’t forget at all.

datamuse June 17, 2012 (9:38 pm)

GayCynic, have you done the math to figure out whether what you’ll spend in gas to get to those places will cancel out the paper grocery bag fee?
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Just asking.
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I pretty much stopped using store bags a few years ago. I have a nice wicker basket that I use now, it’s much sturdier and holds more.

beef June 17, 2012 (9:42 pm)

@gaycynic – good luck with that, the extra money you spend on gas could have been easily used to acquire reusable shopping bags or the nickels for paper bags.

beef June 17, 2012 (9:42 pm)

but i digress, don;t feed the trolls. :)

duder June 17, 2012 (10:06 pm)

I work for one of the companies having to make the switch away from plastic bags. I have to say, it’s amazing how many people think the loss of plastic bags is such a huge deal, the amount of complaints is ridiculous. If our lives are so dependent on the presence of plastic bags than we ought to rethink our lives. You use them for garbage or cat litter? TOUGH! Purchase biodegradable bags and do what’s right.

Trickycoolj June 17, 2012 (10:11 pm)

Since in still relatively new to this side of town and haven’t settled on a grocery store yet, GatCynic has a point. I’ll just go to Roxbury Safeway, it’s no farther than the Junction Safeway/QFC for me. I use plastic shopping bags for all of my trash bags. So now I have to buy liners that will be too big for my cans. Or maybe I’ll just dump the trash unbagged in the can so it can fly away in the wind. I’m sure my neighbors will appreciate the used tissues that float into their lawn. Yum!

Bonnie June 17, 2012 (10:28 pm)

I personally want the paper bags from Trader Joe’s, QFC and Safeway. I reuse them for my food waste. So I’ll pay the 5 cents or whatever it is to get them. I have a ton of shopping bags but always forget them. Will try to remember to put them in my trunk.

datamuse June 17, 2012 (10:30 pm)

I’m curious, Trickycoolj. How will annoying your neighbors with used tissues stick it to Seattle City Council? Are you expecting them to write a letter asking that the ban be repealed so they don’t have to deal with your garbage? At least tissues are biodegradable…

Jiggers June 17, 2012 (10:35 pm)

People hate to adjust because they are lazy. It takes you a few minutes of your time to bring your own bags for a good cause. Those plastic bags wind up in our ecosytem and choke the life out the foods we depend on like fish and other marine mammals who live in the oceans. We shouldn’t be using paper bags either just saying.

Interesting June 17, 2012 (10:38 pm)

Interesting issue and I can definitely see both sides. I used to live in West Seattle and was aware that this issue was on the docket. I also paid considerable notice to “The Bag Man” that used to attend events covered in plastic bags to draw awareness. I must admit, I use my plastic bags over and over at home, so they get their use, that’s for sure. And it would be a big adjustment to give that up entirely.

That said, the ironic thing is that I live in Idaho now – in a town that doesn’t even recycle AT ALL. And I am not kidding. Not even at the largest of companies in this town. Not a can, not a plastic container, NOTHING. So while I commend Seattle for taking action, you gotta know that there are towns all over this country that don’t give a you-know-what. Pretty sad.

Cecelia Lehmann June 17, 2012 (10:41 pm)

While people do use a lot more reusable bags in Europe, plastic bags still exist. You pay for them most of the time however they are usually a lot different than the ones we have here (at least in Germany). The bags are not these filmy things that barely hold any weight they were these heavy duty ones with nice handles and were practically reusable themselves. You could pack a lot in one plastic bag. People would hang on to them until they wore down and then eventually turn them into a trash bag.
As to biodegradable garbage bags, they are a bit of green washing, they won’t degrade in our landfills the way they are today.

Stuffed Cakes June 17, 2012 (10:55 pm)

As a shop owner, I have made sure all of our packaging is biodegradable (down to cellulose windows on my cake boxes) and recyclable from day one. Every once in while we have a customer that wants a handled plastic bag to carry their to-go cupcakes and we pull from our stash of used bags from shopping trips (so we are at least recycling them).

Does anyone know if that is still allowed – handing out previously used plastic bags? I’m assuming it’s not allowed, but I haven’t received any literature from the city as a retailer.

westseattledood June 17, 2012 (11:03 pm)

Jiggers,

I am not lazy about the bags. I am unbelievably forgetful. I have three totes I try to keep in front seat. I forget 80% of the time going from parking lot to store. I have been trying for over two years to get with the program. So no. Not lazy. Distracted space cadet, yes.

IloveWestSeattle June 17, 2012 (11:15 pm)

Many valid points, but Jigger’s resonates strongly with me.
Ironic that so many in the USA fancy themselves as strong, resourceful, tough, can-do, team-oriented types, but can’t adjust to even the simplest little change(s), that cummutively, can have huge and profound affect(s) if/when millions make the small change.
Comment by Interesting is beyond sad, but since it’s Idaho, I cannot say I’m totally surprised to hear of the callous disregard for the environment….I imagine they have nothing but contempt for anyone who would suggest such a “radical” notion as (Oh, NO!!!) recycling.

LE June 17, 2012 (11:26 pm)

Stuffed Cakes – I think that would violate health codes, even if it doesn’t violate the bag codes.

WSB June 18, 2012 (12:06 am)

An additional tidbit on the question of “what about non-grocery stores?” – see the last paragraph in this consumer-geared FAQ from the city, declaring that department and book stores “will” be using what they call “strong” plastic bags, which they consider reusable. Interesting:
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http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Recycling/ReduceReuseExchange/PlasticBagBan/FAQsShoppers/index.htm

norsk girl June 18, 2012 (5:45 am)

I wonder what is going to happen to surplus of plastic bags currently in stock at the various stores? Sell, return, dumpster, recycle?

Tbone June 18, 2012 (6:11 am)

I do love that paper bags hold up so well in the rain, in comparison to plastic… Ah, I love Seattle – I only wish it wasn’t so close to where I live…

Smitty June 18, 2012 (6:27 am)

And you thought we had dog poop problems currently?

Watch your step!

(Or, are the little blue bags at Petco still ok?)

WSB June 18, 2012 (7:21 am)

Yes, they are. Says so on all the collateral to which we linked.

Wednesday June 18, 2012 (7:46 am)

Does this mean I can’t bring my own plastic bag or is the ban just on businesses providing them?

Ken June 18, 2012 (7:49 am)

How about stores like Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond? I’ve never seen anything but plastic bags at those places. And I cannot imagine a corporation like Target changing bag options for just the 2 or 3 stores they have within the city limits.

WSB June 18, 2012 (7:55 am)

See my earlier comment – if they use what are considered “stronger” plastic bags of a particular thickness, those are considered by the city to be “reusable” and are not affected by the ban.

jns June 18, 2012 (8:06 am)

Check out the documentary ‘Bag It’. I just watched it on Netflix Instant about a week ago and I’m very glad that our city is at least making an effort to keep some of the plastic bags out of the enviroment (and culture). The one time use plastic (bottles and bags) are a HUGE waste or resources and a bigger hazard to the environment.

datamuse June 18, 2012 (8:06 am)

…that said, you can bring your own bag to places like Target, and I frequently do.

wellil June 18, 2012 (8:29 am)

I work in a store that recently stopped using the banned “single-use” plastic bags. We now have a bag that is thick enough to be considered “multiple use” so it’s not banned. The new bags are thicker than a grocery store bag, but not noticeably different from what I’d call a “nicer” plastic bag given out in a non-grocery store. I know that many stores (like Bartells) are also switching to multiple use plastic, so in a lot of non-grocery store settings you won’t be able to tell the difference in the bag you’re getting. But the City Council will expect you to use it many, many times in order to make this ordinance make sense. I think this ban should have been on all plastic bags (yes, even produce bags and especially bags from a dry cleaner!). It’s silly as it is right now.

JoAnne June 18, 2012 (8:52 am)

This ban is going to cause other problems that harm the environment.
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It WILL increase use of and demand for paper bags. Chemicals used in paper bag manufacturing eventually make their way into streams and the ocean. Disgusting.
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People on buses will not stop for groceries and walk home–they’ll go home and get the car. You can’t carry groceries home in a paper bag in the rain. More car trips will be made to grocery stores.
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People will throw away reusable bags eventually. They are not going to clean them and reuse them forever.
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This ordinance benefits politicians, social engineers, and bureaucrats (i.e., meddling busybodies) a lot more than it does the ocean.

2 Much Whine June 18, 2012 (9:02 am)

Only 30 comments? You west-siders are letting me down. Where is the misdirected vitriol? Where are all the horror stories about the black plague being spread by bags? Where are all the conservatives blaming Obama for this? What has happened to the back-and-forth dialogue that will NEVER change our opinions or convince us that we are wrong?

Krystal June 18, 2012 (9:06 am)

Stuffed Cakes–reusing a plastic bag in a food establishment may (unfortunately) be a county health code violation. Their rules regarding reusable food containers are notoriously anti-environmentally friendly. Kills me that I can’t bring in my own containers for meat and cheese into markets because of the health code (while it is not a problem in the Bay Area or Bend, OR). Food packaging is incredibly plastic intensive, it would be great if we are forcing a bag ban to have less restrictive laws in this department. I know one is the city and one is the county, but come on. Talk it out.

This plastic bag ban is a bit of greenwashing for me. Produce bags are still okay? Okay for bulk? Okay if they are heavy duty? Hmmm.

I know a lot of cities have been subject to lawsuits from plastics manufacturers in regards to plastic bag bans, has Seattle had to deal with this yet?

Mesh bags work great for produce, and a cotton bag or jar (heck, and old pillowcase!) works great for dry bulk.

datamuse June 18, 2012 (9:20 am)

It’s early yet, 2 Much Whine. Wait for it. ;)
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JoAnne, I’ve been using reusable bags for over five years and have yet to throw any of them away. I don’t even understand your point there since surely reusing something even a limited number of times is better than using it once and throwing it away?
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I’m with you on the paper bags, though. The one advantage they have over plastic is that they don’t persist in the environment nearly as long–they do degrade eventually. Plastic bags just shred into smaller and smaller pieces without actually decomposing.
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As for your assertions about buses, more car trips, etc, what evidence do you have to back that up? After all, bag bans have been instituted in other cities.
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The one argument against plastic grocery bag bans that I think is worth considering is one that nobody here seems to have made yet: that it doesn’t actually reduce plastic bag use because people go out and buy garbage bags, etc, instead. There’s even some evidence that this is the case, But folks would apparently rather argue that it’s the Seattle City Council’s goal in life to make your lives difficult. Peculiar.

alex June 18, 2012 (10:00 am)

This isn’t a lot of money we’re talking about, but we all are now being forced to buy plastic garbage bags, and to pay for bags when we forget. Both small expenses, but ones we didn’t have in our lives before, nonetheless. I will be lining 100% of my garbage cans with bags, just as I always have, so my overall bag usage will be the exact same. It just costs me a little more now.
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Another thought I had was regarding the efficiency of the check-out lane at the grocery. Right now, those plastic bag dispensers are models of efficiency. An infinite quantity of uniformly sized bags, right at the bagger’s fingertips, complete with metal arms to hold the bag open for him while he works. When they’re gone we will have to wait for each customer to produce their bags for use. I’m imagining a situation like the old person who has to write out a check by hand, and it takes forever. Longer lines.

lil wash June 18, 2012 (10:08 am)

I see people saying they will go to the Safeway on Roxbury. Am I missing something because that is still in Seattle city limits so won’t they have to use paper too?

T- Rex June 18, 2012 (10:20 am)

And just what am I supposed to use to clean out my cat’s box???

Just sayin’….

datamuse June 18, 2012 (10:23 am)

So put your bags on the conveyer belt with the groceries, Alex. Geez, this isn’t rocket surgery.

DTK June 18, 2012 (10:39 am)

I was going to buy a pack mule but then I figured its flatulence to and from the store would probably nullify the carbon neutral idea here.

Forest June 18, 2012 (10:43 am)

lil wash –
Seattle’s city limit at that point is the center line of SW Roxbury Street. The Roxbury Safeway is on the county side of the street.

WSB June 18, 2012 (10:47 am)

And in fact, that’s why I have to follow up with the sheriff’s office today on a crash that happened right ON Roxbury immediately north of the store over the weekend – the car landed in the eastbound lanes, so while SPD helped investigate, I was referred to KCSO for followup …

gina June 18, 2012 (11:04 am)

Rpxbury Safeway is located in unincorporated King County.

Anne June 18, 2012 (11:18 am)

Exactly datamuse! I carry my bags in-put them on the bottom shelf of my cart & they are the first thing to go on the conveyor belt when I check out. I’ve been doing this at not only the grocery stores-but at Target, Bartells, etc. So far not one checker and or bagger has had a problem with the variety of bags I use-I have big, small, cloth, & vinyl. I will admit-the big test for me will be to remember to take bags into the mall when I shop there-I don’t do that too often so it’s not as much of a “habit” as the grocery store. Like others-I don’t see the logic in spending money on gas to drive outside the city
limits-because you don’t want to bring your own bags to your neighborhood store.

lil wash June 18, 2012 (11:38 am)

But the Safeway on Roxbury has a Seattle address so wouldn’t it have to follow the bag rules? I guess I am confused on what the new law is going to cover…is it king county or Seattle?

WSB June 18, 2012 (11:49 am)

New law is Seattle only. In terms of a Seattle address – what city you write on the business card or postal mail doesn’t matter; people use Seattle addresses all the way up to the Burien city limits. Same for many mapping programs – White Center is outside the city limits but whenever I put a White Center address into the built-in Google Mapping feature of our events calendar software, it changes it to Seattle, WA. (Pending the fall annexation vote, anyway ..)

jedifarfy June 18, 2012 (11:42 am)

RE: what stores will do with the bags:

I know one store at least that is sending all of their bags to stores outside of Seattle.

CJ June 18, 2012 (12:00 pm)

Really people. I remember when plastic bags were introduced and people were up in arms about the possibility that paper bags would go away and we would be left with only the flimsy plastic bag. Paper was once the only option to get the groceries home-even in the rain! How did we ever live without plastic bags before?? Maybe the government isn’t doing enough but then again you don’t have to rely on them for change. You can make the world a better place all by yourself-acquire or even make your own reusable grocery, produce, bulk bags/containers, reduce the amount of trash you have to throw away to begin with, ask your neighbors for plastic bags they don’t need, reuse the plastic packaging of toilet paper, paper towels, appliances, electronics, plastic mesh of bulk produce, etc. Scrutinize everything you bring in as a possible garbage receptacle. Change your kitty litter to a flushable kind or one that can be tossed in the corner of the yard. The clay stuff is bad for the environment and your cat anyway. I do many of these things and still have a surplus of plastic bags which have prevented me from having to buy garbage bags for ten years and counting. While your at it, talk to your employers about reducing the daily refreshing of thousands of trash liners. We are quickly approaching the tipping point of no return in global warming and banning plastic grocery bags is but a blip in the drastic changes we really need to make. If such baby steps are so hard for us to make, even in the face of danger, then draw close those plastic bags and tell them how strongly you feel for them because soon it will be curtains.

margaritaville June 18, 2012 (12:29 pm)

I’m not a huge fan of plastic grocery bags as they are usually too thin. However, those bags are always re-used for something; same as those stupid plastic bags the Seattle Times uses. The problem with reusable bags is sanitation. Imagine and fully expect that the first bad case of e.coli traced to reusable bags will generate a huge lawsuit against the City of Seattle. As for remembering to put the bags in the car – just how much crap is one expected to carry in a car before they resemble Jed Clampett? What happened to grocery boxes? Amazonfresh and shopping outside the city limits definitely will impact stores such as Met Market. This overactive consumer has no intention of parting with hard earned nickels for paper grocery bags that will fall apart in the rain.

datamuse June 18, 2012 (1:02 pm)

The problem with reusable bags is sanitation.
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It seems that an awful lot of Seattleites don’t have regular access to laundry facilities, given how often this particular objection is raised.
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And you know, my car’s pretty small but somehow I can still fit four passengers in amidst the first aid kid, the emergency supply bag, the maps, the spare blanket, the spare water, and oh yeah, the grocery bags.
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I mean, really?? These are the best objections people can come up with?

Velo_nut June 18, 2012 (1:15 pm)

How will I pick my dogs poop up with a paper bag?

Anne June 18, 2012 (1:26 pm)

Cmon margaritaville-Jed Clampett..really? I have a large rubber band or two that I put around my stack of bags-they sit on the floor in the back of my car or in the trunk-nice & neat. as for impacting Met Market-or any other grocery store-in the city–why don’t we revisit that claim in say 6 months.See just how much business has fallen off.E-coli??? Sanitation??? I don’t know about anyone else-but even when I wasn’t using my own bags I always washed all my produce when I got home & I cook my meat to the proper temp as well-so I’m sorry I don’t get that scare tactic at all. I wash my fabric bags, clean out my vinyl ones with soap & water-turn them inside out to dry.It’s EASY!!!

highlandpark June 18, 2012 (2:19 pm)

I like reusable tote bags like the ones from Trader Joe’s mostly because they hold SO much more compared to the plastic bags. Makes for less trips to/from the car. I once watched as a QFC bagger double-bagged a SINGLE whole chicken. Don’t get me started on bagging gallons of milk, or 6-packs of beers that have handles already. If you need bags for your cat litter, dog poop, etc., buy more produce! Those bags are not being banned. This is not the end of the world people.

MAS June 18, 2012 (2:48 pm)

Why does this city ever bother putting things to a vote? If they are going to ignore the will of the voters and do what they want anyway, it seems like we could save a lot of money by doing away with the vote int he first place.

Diane June 18, 2012 (2:52 pm)

this law is so stupid; feel-good marketing for politicians and green-wash; does very little for environment; harms the poor, spreads germs; ridiculous
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most people who bring their reusable bags to grocery stores do not wash them; it’s disgusting; wash/sanitize your bags people, for everyone’s health

margaritaville June 18, 2012 (3:06 pm)

Google e coli reusable shopping bags. Only 15% of Americans wash their reusable bags. Salmonella. Listeria. E.Coli. Norovirus. Yummy.

M June 18, 2012 (4:09 pm)

Let the clear cutting of the forrest for paper bags begin!

Anne June 18, 2012 (4:11 pm)

You can find a scarey statistic for anything. Now that plastic is banned here maybe folks will see how ridiculously easy it is to be safe!

Yardvark June 18, 2012 (5:14 pm)

I worship the plastic industry’s marketing departments! At the same time, I’m so very glad that we’re finally getting this ban in place.

mrsB June 18, 2012 (6:07 pm)

Costco was selling a pack of six washable sturdy nylon bags for 9 or 10 dollars, packaged in a handy carrier. They were in the luggage area. Oh yes, and Costco has never provided plastic or paper bags…

Krystal June 18, 2012 (6:18 pm)

Margaritaville, I highly suggest you don’t put your stuff in those 85% of resuable bags then, I would just use your own reusable bags.

datamuse June 18, 2012 (7:17 pm)

Yeah, and 33% of people don’t wash their hands either!
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Just to be safe, I’ll never shake anyone’s hand again.

West Seattleite June 18, 2012 (7:44 pm)

Happy to have a nanny when a nanny is needed.

AWD June 18, 2012 (8:06 pm)

Like a week ago, I asked Roxbury Safeway and they said they did not know if they have to enforce it or not. When I asked them like a month ago, they said it depends if they pay property taxes to Seattle, as that determines if the fall in the “zone”. I would recommend you ask.

denise June 18, 2012 (8:54 pm)

I agree with the bag deal but what about reusing over and over. I am a clean freak and my bags look questionable sometimes. We all put our bags on the belt……dog hair. etc….ICKY!!!!

Noelle June 18, 2012 (9:14 pm)

Don’t forget to keep your reuseable bags CLEAN! You don’t want them to harbor food born illnesses or anything else! I have some bags just for going food shopping and other bags just for going to get treats/food stuff for my pets. Never the two shall mix.

WorldCitizen June 18, 2012 (9:49 pm)

Oh no, you mean you have to pay attention to something? Cleaning a re-useable bag really will not be the end of the world… or an inconvenience. It will become just another thing that becomes automatic like doing laundry or cleaning the bathroom.

Seriously? June 18, 2012 (10:22 pm)

Oh Noes! It’s the enz of the worlds!!!!! We have to bring our own bags or pay a nickel per bag!!!!!

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT COMMUNISIM AND/OR NAZISM WAS LIKE!!!!! WORSE EVENS!!!!

Kat June 18, 2012 (10:54 pm)

@IloveWestSeattle – Your comment about Idaho is out of line. You should do some research before condemning a whole state of people.

From the Idaho.gov site – “Recycling in Idaho is limited by its geographic isolation from reprocessing facilities and markets. Recyclable materials must be shipped long distances, which can be very costly, especially for heavy materials like glass. Collection and transportation costs can outweigh the value of the recyclable materials.”

My parents recycle everything they can and then make a monthly trip to the nearest recycling center which is over an hour from their home. That center does not accept glass, so unfortunately glass gets thrown away. Some of the larger towns and cities actually have a curbside pickup. When I was at the U of I in Moscow, everyone I knew recycled.

Most issues aren’t as simple as we all like to make them sound. Please take a little more time to learn about my home state. It is a beautiful place with wonderful people.

datamuse June 18, 2012 (11:09 pm)

Heck, WorldCitizen, I put mine IN the laundry since they’re made of fabric (except the wicker basket, obviously).
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I do not understand the freaking out over keeping them clean. Most of us have access to washing machines, yes?

Dennis Cheasebro June 19, 2012 (12:04 am)

Cecelia Lehmann: “As to biodegradable garbage bags, they are a bit of green washing, they won’t degrade in our landfills the way they are today.”
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Of course they won’t degrade in a landfill, which is designed to prevent degradation. You don’t put landfill trash in a biodegradable bag but compostable food waste, which of course should not go to the landfill.

karlyross June 19, 2012 (8:38 am)

It blows my mind that people will ‘do their shopping in Tukwila’ just as not to have to use a recycleable bag. So, not only do they not care that they’re destroying the environment with plastic bags, but they want to waste gas too?! Good night, what a lazy, pathetic society we’re becoming. Scary.

margaritaville June 19, 2012 (4:00 pm)

Sticks and stones and all that stuff – reviewing this nasty commentary thread from my office in Tukwila, I can only laugh. Where are plastic grocery bags made? USA. Where are paper grocery bags made? USA. Where are the reusable bags made? From my 30 years in international trade, importing reusable shopping bags of various materials has paid for multiple vacations.

CJ June 19, 2012 (5:23 pm)

That is a false choice, Margaritaville. It is not either the environment or the economy. We must pay attention to both or we will have neither. Here’s a link to make your own, using material you already have or pick a few up at the thrift store: http://www.instructables.com/id/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG/

Perry Mason June 19, 2012 (8:46 pm)

“Imagine and fully expect that the first bad case of e.coli traced to reusable bags will generate a huge lawsuit against the City of Seattle.”

And imagine and KNOW that any lawyer this theoretical e coli victim encounters will laugh in their face and show them the door. To take a case, an attorney has to expect a reasonable chance to win.

Real life is neither a GOP campaign ad, nor an episode of one of your “true crime” teevee shows, dearie. If you’re so concerned, cough up that nickel.

IloveWestSeattle June 21, 2012 (3:39 pm)

Kat–apologies, I stand corrected. :)

CJ June 22, 2012 (12:55 am)

Thank you jns for the recommendation to watch Bag It-I reserved it at the library that day and got it just three days later. It was very informative while still being entertaining. Seattle City Council member Richard Conlin and our bag politics were featured among other communities and issues. I encourage you all to put it on your list.

Sorry, comment time is over.