Published: Thursday, April 9, 2009
Ban on plastic bags finds favor in Edmonds
Charging a fee for plastic bags doesn't solve the problem, says a city official, so Edmonds will pursue a ban.
EDMONDS -- Plastic bags face an uncertain future here, after the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pursue a citywide ban that could be adopted as soon as June.
If the city sticks to its time line, Edmonds would likely be the first city in Washington to regulate plastic bags.
Going after single-use plastic checkout bags is part of Edmonds' effort to become a leader in making smart environmental policy, officials said.
Bans are the most effective way to combat plastic bags and their resulting pollution, Council President D.J. Wilson said.
"Recycling doesn't stop the bags from going into the water. If you put a fee on a bag, that doesn't change that," Wilson said. "If that's the problem as global citizens that we're trying to address, it seems banning (plastic bags) is the appropriate step."
Officials haven't decided exactly how Edmonds' ban might work, but city staff and the city's attorney will spend the next month studying similar bans in cities across the United States.
Voters in Seattle will decide Aug. 18 whether to require businesses to charge a 20-cent fee for every plastic and paper shopping bag customers use.
That approach wasn't good enough for Edmonds, said Councilman Strom Peterson, who is leading the city's effort.
Peterson has been talking with officials in the city of Palo Alto, Calif., which earlier this year passed a ban on plastic bags and created a fee for paper bags. Palo Alto's rules go into effect in September.
Tuesday's vote was a significant first step toward a ban, Peterson said. "People know this is the right thing to do."
Chris Fyall: 425-339-3447, cfyall@heraldnet.com.
If the city sticks to its time line, Edmonds would likely be the first city in Washington to regulate plastic bags.
Going after single-use plastic checkout bags is part of Edmonds' effort to become a leader in making smart environmental policy, officials said.
Bans are the most effective way to combat plastic bags and their resulting pollution, Council President D.J. Wilson said.
"Recycling doesn't stop the bags from going into the water. If you put a fee on a bag, that doesn't change that," Wilson said. "If that's the problem as global citizens that we're trying to address, it seems banning (plastic bags) is the appropriate step."
Officials haven't decided exactly how Edmonds' ban might work, but city staff and the city's attorney will spend the next month studying similar bans in cities across the United States.
Voters in Seattle will decide Aug. 18 whether to require businesses to charge a 20-cent fee for every plastic and paper shopping bag customers use.
That approach wasn't good enough for Edmonds, said Councilman Strom Peterson, who is leading the city's effort.
Peterson has been talking with officials in the city of Palo Alto, Calif., which earlier this year passed a ban on plastic bags and created a fee for paper bags. Palo Alto's rules go into effect in September.
Tuesday's vote was a significant first step toward a ban, Peterson said. "People know this is the right thing to do."
Chris Fyall: 425-339-3447, cfyall@heraldnet.com.
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