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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: The Road to Zero Waste: A Study of the Seattle Green Fee on Disposable Bags

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2010

Maggie Murdoch
Maggie Murdoch*
Affiliation:
Program on the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
*
Address correspondence to: Maggie Murdoch, 5215 38th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98105; (phone) 719-239-1992; (e-mail) [email protected]
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Abstract

Waste reduction is a policy objective being pursued around the world, and many jurisdictions are now considering bag fees as a targeted way to deal with an avoidable waste stream. Seattle City Government passed legislation in July 2008 that placed a $0.20 fee on paper or plastic bags given at the checkout stand of grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores. However, an opposition campaign collected enough signatures to send the measure to a public vote in August 2009, where it was turned down. Understanding the lessons learned from this and previous bag-fee legislation will be useful to interested governments. Governments must understand that disposable bags symbolize convenience to many, and many citizens are unaware of the true consequences of handling waste. I conclude that for this breed of policy to be successful, four components are necessary: public education on the issue and the environmental context of the policy; a provision to mitigate financial hardship that may arise from the fee on low-income communities; an alliance with grassroots activist organizations that can help bring the discussion to a wider audience and gain public support; and, finally, a consideration of the macroeconomic conditions.

Environmental Practice 12:66–75 (2010)

Type
Features
Information
Environmental Practice , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 66 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © National Association of Environmental Professionals 2010

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