WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in Washington are exploring new ways to tackle the issue of plastic litter. This comes just weeks after the state imposed higher fees on plastic bags.
Research from Washington State University found that while the fees have cut the number of bags at checkout by half, they have not resulted in less plastic in landfills. This is partly because the reusable bags are thicker and shoppers are not reusing them enough.
House Bill 22-84 proposes forming a commission made up of different industries to reduce plastic waste.
Crystal Leatherman from the Washington Retail Association commented on the bill’s approach. “We strongly support the bill’s data-driven collaborative approach through the creation of a littering solutions task force,” she said.
Caleb Gorder from the Washington Farm Bureau saw potential for a new market within the agriculture industry. “The bill also presents a great opportunity for potential new market within the agriculture industry as we look toward compostable bags that include potato starch,” he said.
However, ecology officials have noted a concern. They argue that the proposal does not establish funding for the initiative.
A separate bill considered increasing the bag fee to 20 cents per bag.
