Washington's plastic bag fee reduces waste — but not to the extent intended, report finds

Washington’s plastic bag fee was intended to change people’s habit of relying on single-use plastic bags and encourage them to bring reusable shopping sacks instead.

But a new study, conducted by a coalition of conservation groups, found that while the policy has helped reduce pollution, the fee hasn’t changed shopper behavior that much.

“The 8-cent fee, for some people, it might dissuade them,” said Pam Clough, an advocate with Environment Washington, one of the groups behind the report. “But I think for a lot of other folks, 8 cents per bag doesn’t seem like a lot so it might not be enough.”

The report also notes a loophole in the policy that encourages stores to replace thinner, single-use bags with thicker plastic bags, for a fee. The idea was that making the thicker bags available would encourage shoppers to reuse them. But in reality, many people tend to use those bags just once, according to the study.

“While people might be using less plastic bags, that benefit might be offset by the weight of plastic increasing because each plastic bag is using more plastic than it was originally,” Clough said.

Clough hopes the bag fee will have more of an impact by 2026, when it's slated to rise to 12 cents.

As of 2021, more than 500 cities in 28 states, including Washington, have a plastic bag ordinance in effect.