A recent Washington State University study calls into question the effectiveness of a law aimed at reducing waste from single-use bags. The findings, however, received pushback from state agencies that say researchers may have lacked data to reach their conclusions.
Passed by the Legislature in 2020, the law aimed to encourage shoppers to either reuse the same bag for multiple visits or purchase reusable grocery bags, thereby reducing plastic waste. In October 2021, those who do not bring their own bag to the store started paying 8 cents for a reusable plastic grocery bag or paper bag.
The law mirrored similar legislation in other states, including California, Oregon and Connecticut. Under the law, the rate will increase to 12 cents at the start of the new year. While the money collected from these fees is retained by the retailer, the fee is subject to state and local sales tax.