Not so fast...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews...

I bet people in Myanmar and Zimbabwe can't get plastic bags either!!! What a terrible thing is happening to Seattleites!

We are such an oppressed and persecuted people!

For cryin' out loud, can't the government stop telling me how to live?

For cryin' out loud. What is so hard about bringing a bag to a store? In the past few days on the radio, I've heard old ladies crying about how they won't be able to shop anymore. Why haven't they been bringing their own bags all these years and getting paid .05 for reusing the same bag? As for what to do with kitty litter or dog poo, I never use those plastic grocery bags for those - they always have small holes in them. Use a produce bag, a newspaper bag.

Ireland banned plastic bags in 2002. I visited there last year and as far as I could tell, life has continued in spite of the ban. The entire countries of Bangladesh and Bhutan ban them. Germany and Israel levy surcharges. Effective June 30, China no longer permits stores to pass out free plastic bags. In Alaska, several villages have banned them. Los Angeles' ban starts in 2010. Come on, LA and Alaska are ahead of us on this one?

I will be happy to see the styrofoam go. I use reusable bags quite often, and most places have offered a $0.05 discount for doing so. This just turns that discount around the other way into a cost for using a "disposable" bag.

I probably wouldn't miss the free trash bags as much if Seattle would get it's act together with requiring compost pickup for apartments and improved recycling services.

Jmi - Some grocery stores are more pro-active than others on this issue: at the Ballard Market they have big signs over both entries reminding you to bring in your reusable bags. It's really helped me to be better about remembering them...

I notice some restaurants seem to be anticipating the Styrofoam ban already (or just doing the right thing of their own volition): I had leftovers from two different places last week, both in non-styro containers. Yay!

My home town banned Styrofoam takeout containers about 20 years ago & I'm thrilled that Seattle is finally doing so too.

Is there any accounting for where this money is going? I want it to be 100% allocated for something useful, NOT going in the general city slush fund. Until that happens I am 100% convinced that this is just a way for the city to increase taxes.

Okay so we all know there are benefits to using the reusable bags. And this is a choice we should make without the city having to legislate it but a lot of people don't. For that matter, grocery stores haven't chosen to act pro-actively on this issue either which could have been a way for us not to have legislation like this passed.

The thing that bothers me is the energy the city puts into this but not into addressing the drug issues (see above posting) in the city. So how do we go about putting the energy we have for this debate into taking action against those immediate threats as well as the longer term (environmental) ones ?

Well I seem to be given a reusable bag at just about every store I go to these days (not just grocery stores) and seem to have accumulated about 30. I’ve even be given free ones when I came in with a reusable one. At what point is the production and disposal of reusable bags going to become more of a problem than disposable bags? Now it's going to turn into a fight for advertising space.

I'm not lazy, bring my own bags and I still hate that this penalty is being imposed. The tax collected will go towards "educating" people about bringing bags.

Well said, Evan. Everybody should just quit complaining and use a freakin' reusable bag. It's not a difficult habit to get into, and they're actually more functional (bigger, deeper, able to be slung over the shoulder) than plastic bags, which, come on, we all know are choking the earth.

We should be proud to live in a city that actually has the guts to do something like this.

And for the record, I have a dog. I also get two newspapers daily. The plastic bags those come in provide more than enough supply for pick-up duty. Works perfectly.

The perfect solution to the doggy doo problem is NOT GETTING A FREAKIN DOG! And stop bring them to the Ballard Sunday Market... I don't want your dogs slobber over my food.

I read somewhere that they will be doing away with plastic utencils too. I'll have to go to Cash 'n Carry to stock up.

Awesome comment Suthii - it does get right at that ridiculous Old Seattle Complainer attitude: "I'm a FREE living libertarian until it allows other people to do what they want.

Oh, and there are plenty of Old Seattlites that made TONS and TONS of money on their beat-up craftsmans that can certainly afford a plastic bag for the dog poo if they want.

Fantastic. I stand and applaud the city council. When our future is at stake we can't wait for lazy, apathetic citizens to make the right choices. Suthii, "choice" typically means doing nothing at all. They choose to use plastic bags, etc. because they are mentally too lazy to make the slightest change to re-usable bags.

srcmsgl.

i don't do dog for that very reason.

"I believe in CHOICE "

Except when it comes to so-called 'gentrified culture'? Are we yuppies allowed to be free and enjoy our Chateau Neuf de Papes and drive BMWs in Ballard?

"making room for an infestation of condos and townhouses, gentrified the culture"

Here's an idea, if you don't like restaurants and shops that are 'gentrified' (btw what does that mean, they make you use a salad fork?), don't patronize them. After all, it's a free country!

"about the evils of countries where citizens were not free"

What, like not being free to build or buy townhouses or condos where you want? Not being free to knock down a Dennys or Sunset bowl and do what you like with the property?

Sounds terrible, not being allowed to do as you wish with your property and your money.....what country are you talking about?

Been using reusable bags for 2 years now. I also own a dog who lives to save he number 2s for a walk. Plenty of other plastic bags that make themselves available for free without having to buy them. 3 or 4 different fruits or vegetables gives you some bags right there. Or you could really splurge and spend 3 dollars for 100 at you local pet store

Yay! "I know" got it!

Why does this have to be so difficult? It is just another sin tax, and one you don't even have to pay if you remember your reusable shopping bags.

I'm with you DHM. I'd like to see Nickels and his cronies run out of town on a rail. He's sold off and razed our city, making room for an infestation of condos and townhouses, gentrified the culture, history and character out of our fair city, and has instituted a load of nanny laws.

Personally, I believe in CHOICE . There was a time when parents and schools taught children about the evils of countries where citizens were not free, but strictly controlled by an all pervasive government...they had no choice left in their lives or privacy, as the governments gathered information on their own citizens. Sure sounds like Seattle to me.

I've always reused my bags, and yes, that 20 cents matters to me.

BREAD BAGS
CEREAL BAGS
COSTCO TRAIL MIX BAGS
PRODUCE BAGS
------as alternatives to plastic grocery bags to clean up doggy do!

I support anything that makes Seattle more expensive and helps drive out the working class....they only devalue our property values.

So bring on the 20 cent fee, after all, who's more likely to show up at PCC with their own fashionable bags, Mr Crunchy College Educated Middle Class Guy in his Subaru, or Mr Joe Working Class Stiff in a pick up truck?

@DHM Yeah, I'm sooooo with you! And we should be able to dump used motor oil straight into storm drains too!

I can't believe you folks are so grumpy about this! Go buy a re-useable shopping bag and you'll be fine.

Grow up a little too on the libertarian stuff. The government limits tons of things like this - (try cigarettes) - for the larger good. That's the point. We should do more to attach a real cost to the damage that many of our products and packaging habits have on the environment.

Is this $0.20 fee going to make up for the money they are going to lose on those $89,000 toilets they can't sell on eBay?

Oh wah, you bunch of whiners. What is 20 cents to you, really? That wouldn't even cover a cup of coffee. Perhaps we should just keep on filling the dumps up with non-biodegradable bags (I speak of the plastic ones, of course)?

If you have trouble cleaning up after your dog, maybe you shouldn't have one. There is enough waste in the average household that I am sure you can find something else to use to pick up your friend's little piles of love.

DHM we don't have freedom in this country. Back to High School you go. Lookup Patrick Henry for a quote that may light your way to what we have.

It is officially time to replace mayor Nickels and stop this bafoonery called Seattle government. There are too many big issues at stake. The mayor and his cronies have wasted years and literally millions of dollars on defunct projects since taking office. They have majored on minors. It is time for real leadership that remembers I am a FREE Ballard American. Get Seattle out of my shopping.

Guess I'll just buy heavy black trashbags to throw away my garbage. That'll be cheaper. And maybe I'll just dump my garbage straight into my trash container....

i hope the spend some of the money on animal control because i see a lot more dog piles being left behind.

i didn't vote for this executive body!

Guess I'll just drive up to Shoreline when I need grocery bags to scoop the kitty litter...