On January 1st, Kitsap County banned the use of plastic bags. Retail stores will no longer be providing plastic bags and will be charging for paper or reusable bags. Roughly 1,500 plastic bags are taken home by the average american family each year.

 Plastic bags are creating problems all over the world. There is a huge amount of litter in the ocean, on the streets, and most neighborhoods too. Not only are plastic bags easily visible, making cities look ugly, but they are highly toxic to animals when ingested. 

The amount of litter created has vastly increased since plastic bags were introduced to retail stores. Australia spends more $200 million per year picking up litter. 

In 2008, the government passed a law stating that grocery retailers must provide a plastic bag recycle station in store, but only 50% of plastic gets recycled. Most plastic is thrown away by the consumer. Plastic bags take 500 or more years to degrade in a landfill; becoming microplastics that continue to pollute the environment. 

Reusable “green bags” are a better option for the environment. Recyclable bags are four times more energy efficient to make by manufacturers. With the usage of “green bags,” the damage created by greenhouse gases would be cut down by three times. 

Most stores in Kitsap County are now required by law to charge a fee for certain types of paper bags. The minimum is 5 cents. The goal is to get the customers to buy reusable bags. Not only does the consumer have to pay for a bag, but there is a tax on every bag purchased. Although to-go food vendors are exempt from the plastic bag ban, businesses are encouraged to use recyclable bags whenever possible. This is because spillages and food waste can occur when using the wrong type of bag.