Seattle City Council banned plastic carryout bags back in 2011. So why are they back— in a thicker form?

Seattle residents likely can remember a time between 2012 and 2020 where plastic carryout bags were not offered at grocery stores and other retail establishments. Only paper bags were available. This was the result of an ordinance passed by Seattle City Council in 2011, which was successful in reducing plastic bags in the waste stream and as litter in the environment.

Throughout the 2010s, 38 other local governments in Washington also adopted plastic bag bans. All this momentum led the Washington State Legislature to ban plastic bags statewide in 2020. However, the bill that passed included an exemption: It allowed retailers to sell thicker “reusable” plastic bags. As a result, we now

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