Shoppers, store owners get ready for plastic bag ban
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SEATTLE -- In just a few weeks, Seattle will say goodbye to plastic bags, and shoppers and business owners are already getting ready for the change.
The Seattle City Council voted in December to ban the bags, and the new law goes into effect on July 1.
Come July, shoppers will no longer have to decide whether they want paper or plastic.
"Would you like a bag or did you bring your own?" said Tony d'Onofrio of Town and Country Markets.
D'Onofrio said 30 percent of his customers already bring in their own reusable bags, but that number will soon be going up. To make the transition easier, many grocery store owners are offering incentives to get customers to bring their own bags.
"We're going to be giving a nickel back per reusable bag to the customer," d'Onofrio said.
On the flip side, Town and Country Markets charges customers 5 cents per paper bag.
And it's not just grocery stores that are giving up the bags. Retail stores will also say goodbye to plastic.
Some shoppers love the idea.
"Oh, its totally fine," said Nancy Meskerkid. "You can buy all these reusable bags and people say, 'I always forget them.' Well, leave them in your car."
Others aren't so excited by the change.
"I like the plastic bags, they work for me," one shopper said. "I will get paper bags. I will not be bringing my own."
As stores get ready for the ban, they hope shoppers will come around to the idea.
"It's easy to get reusable bags, and we will all pretty soon remember to bring them into the store," said Dick Lilly of Seattle Public Utilities.
In anticipation of the July start date, Seattle Public Utilities mailed out more than 10,000 notices and made 500 calls and in-person visits to local retailers.
The city of Edmonds banned plastic bags last year, and Bellingham starts its ban on July 1.
The Seattle City Council voted in December to ban the bags, and the new law goes into effect on July 1.
Come July, shoppers will no longer have to decide whether they want paper or plastic.
"Would you like a bag or did you bring your own?" said Tony d'Onofrio of Town and Country Markets.
D'Onofrio said 30 percent of his customers already bring in their own reusable bags, but that number will soon be going up. To make the transition easier, many grocery store owners are offering incentives to get customers to bring their own bags.
"We're going to be giving a nickel back per reusable bag to the customer," d'Onofrio said.
On the flip side, Town and Country Markets charges customers 5 cents per paper bag.
And it's not just grocery stores that are giving up the bags. Retail stores will also say goodbye to plastic.
Some shoppers love the idea.
"Oh, its totally fine," said Nancy Meskerkid. "You can buy all these reusable bags and people say, 'I always forget them.' Well, leave them in your car."
Others aren't so excited by the change.
"I like the plastic bags, they work for me," one shopper said. "I will get paper bags. I will not be bringing my own."
As stores get ready for the ban, they hope shoppers will come around to the idea.
"It's easy to get reusable bags, and we will all pretty soon remember to bring them into the store," said Dick Lilly of Seattle Public Utilities.
In anticipation of the July start date, Seattle Public Utilities mailed out more than 10,000 notices and made 500 calls and in-person visits to local retailers.
The city of Edmonds banned plastic bags last year, and Bellingham starts its ban on July 1.
