Clarification on Plastic Bag Ban Information
Seattle’s plastic bag ban, which went into effect in 2011, allows plastic or approved compostable bags for take-out orders of prepared food from restaurants. This exemption to the bag ban remains in place.  As of July 1, 2017, green- or brown-tinted plastic “produce” bags are banned to avoid confusion with compostable bags. Clear produce bags are still allowed. Click here for more information.

The plastic bag ordinance that started in Seattle in the summer of 2017 was met by three types of organizational responses.  The first group had a purchase plan in place before the ordinance came into effect.  They had  searched out the most affordable options for compliance, made a choice, and are now implementing that strategy. The second group hit the ground running on July 1, 2017, and most likely jumped on the easiest solution, but not necessarily the most cost effective.  The third group is not compliant, even at this stage, and need a solution quickly, before they are visited by the city and considerable fines.

All three of these groups could benefit from a phone call made to the Business Development team at the Washington Hospitality Association.  When calling, ask about our new affordable solutions aimed at mitigating the new plastic bag ban costs.  The costs picked up by small business.

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For the first group. We are confident that our member agreement with Office Depot provides extremely competitive pricing on compliant compostable bags.  For the second group, if you are buying in small lots, Office Depot has delivery strategies that can help secure large lot pricing on orders as small as $50. For the third group?  Read the paragraph below quickly.

So the message is always the same, call us, we are working with and for you.  Our goal is to find the best cost saving programs we can, and share them with you.  Exploring Office Depot’s solutions for the plastic bag ban is worth the call.  It’s certainly worth the savings.

Click here for contact info on Office Depot’s Plastic Bag alternatives.

Bag Requirements

New Seattle bag requirements, effective July 1, 2017

What the requirements mean

  • Prohibits all Seattle retail stores from providing customers with single-use plastic carryout (shopping) bags, including bags labeled “biodegradable,” “degradable,” “decomposable” or similar.
  • Allows retail stores to provide customers with any size recyclable paper or reusable carryout bags.
  • Requires retail stores to charge a minimum of 5 cents for large paper carryout bags of 1/8 barrel (882 cubic inches) or larger. These are typical grocery bags with a flat bottom greater than 60 square inches.
  • Prohibits all Seattle retail stores from providing customers with plastic bags (such as produce bags) that are tinted green or brown.
  • Allows stores to provide approved compostable bags, and they must be colored green or brown.
  • Requires retail stores to show all bag-charges on customer receipts; stores keep all revenue. The charge is a taxable retail sale.
  • Allows retail stores, at their discretion, to charge for smaller bags or provide them free.
  • Allows retail stores to provide carryout bags made of plastic 2.25 mil or thicker, with or without charge at their discretion.
  • Requires that bags to which the 5-cent charge applies contain at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled fiber and display the minimum recycled content on the outside of the bag. Use of recycled fiber and labeling is encouraged for all sizes of paper bags.
  • Imposes a $250 fine for violations.
  • Promotes reusable carryout bags as the best alternative to single-use plastic bags.

Exemptions

  • Customers using vouchers or electronic benefit cards from state or federal food assistance programs for grocery purchases are exempt from the 5-cent large paper bag fee.
  • Plastic bags used in stores for bulk items or to protect vegetables, meat, frozen foods, flowers and similar items are exempt. Plastic bags cannot be green or brown tinted. Approved compostable bags are permitted for these purposes.
  • Plastic or approved compostable bags used for take-out orders of prepared food from restaurants are allowed.
  • Plastic dry-cleaner, newspaper and door-hanger bags are allowed but cannot be tinted green or brown.
  • Plastic bags sold in packages containing multiple bags intended for use as garbage bags or to contain pet waste, or approved compostable food and yard waste bags are exempt.

Additional information

A call to Seattle Green Business Program, (206) 343-8505, will forward store names to outreach staff who will visit the location. Strong plastic bags (2.25 mils thick or greater) are considered reusable and some stores such as department stores and book stores use them. You may also call (206) 343-8505 if you see a store not charging for large, recyclable paper bags. (No charge is required for small paper bags.)

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