Washington Considers Proposed Statewide Plastic Bag Ban

2012-01-16 20:37:50 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Illinois News, Justice News Flash, Personal Injury, Regional)

01/13/2012 // WPB, FL, USA // Injury Lawyers News // Nicole Howley

Seattle, WA — In wake of Seattle’s recently adopted ban on plastic shopping bags, a Burien lawmaker plans to take Seattle’s ban and implement it on a statewide level. Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon planned to introduce the bill on Thursday, January 12, 2011, reported the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

The proposed bill would make Washington the first state in the nation to ban the plastic shopping bags that have become a staple in the retail and grocery store industry.

The newly introduced bill models the Seattle, Bellingham, Edmonds and Mukilteo bans.

Starting July 1, Seattle’s ban comes into effect, which bans all disposable, check-out plastic bags in grocery and retail stores. In addition, the bill levies a 5-cent fee on paper bags for customers, which will be used to reimburse retailers.

Those on food assistance and other government benefits will not have to pay the paper bag fee.

A similar bill was also introduced in California last year, but was shot down after the plastic industry unleashed a multi-million dollar lobbying and ad campaign against the measure.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for Washington lawyers.

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