What is Referendum 1?
In 2008, the Seattle City Council passed an ordinance creating a 20 cent fee on all disposable shopping bags at grocery, drug, and convenience stores. The purpose of the green fee is to discourage the use of disposable paper and plastic bags and encourage the use of reusables. This fee, modeled after a similar law in Ireland is expected to reduce bag use by up to 90%. Referendum 1 is about getting Seattleites to bring their own bag to the store in order to reduce waste, greenhouses gases, and environmental impacts. To do this, in 2008, the Seattle City Council passed an ordinance creating a 20 cent fee on all disposable shopping bags at grocery, drug, and convenience stores. The purpose of the green fee is to discourage the use of disposable paper and plastic bags and encourage the use of reusables. This fee, modeled after a similar law in Ireland is expected to reduce bag use by up to 90%.
