WASHINGTON – A new report from Washington State University (WSU) suggests that state lawmakers might need to make changes to Washington's retail carryout bag policy.

The study, based on data collected by WSU for the Washington State Department of Commerce, highlights a significant reduction in distributed plastic bags by 50 percent between 2021 and 2022. However, it also points out that overall plastic use increased by 17 percent during the same period.

The law, which took effect in October 2021, bans single-use plastic bags, requires thicker reusable ones and imposes a fee of eight cents per bag. This fee is set to increase to 12 cents starting January 1, 2026.

The report also indicates that consumer reuse of heavier bags is inadequate, leading to higher environmental lifecycle costs c

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