Backed by close to $250,000 of out-of-state money from the chemical industry, a Seattle ordinance aimed at reducing waste, pollution and reliance on foreign oil by placing a 20 cent fee on non-reusable grocery bags is headed to the August ballot.

A Seattle City Council Bill was passed today, March 30, to allow a disposable bag fee ordinance to be submitted on the August 2009 ballot for voter approval or rejection.

Approved by the council and the mayor in July 2008, the ordinance arose from an Seattle Public Utility study that found significant environmental impacts from the use of paper and plastic disposable shopping bags. The ordinance seeks to reduce those impacts and the use of throwaway bags by requiring grocery, convenience and drug store shoppers to pay a 20 cents “Green Fee”
for each disposable bag used.

An August 2008 referendum suspended implementation of the ordinance pending its approval by Seattle voters.

Seattle Public Utilities estimates that the average Seattle resident uses more than 500 bags per year—or nearly 360 million bags generated on a citywide basis.  While some bags are recycled, plastic bags are a major source of litter, pollution, and are detrimental to sea life when they enter the Puget Sound.  The 20 cent fee is an effort to reflect the true cost of producing and disposing of the bags, and aimed at encouraging use of re-usable bags.  Similar programs in Ireland have resulted on a decrease of 90 percent in plastic and paper bag use. 
 
“It’s a shame these out of state industries are more interested in increasing their profits than working to reduce pollution and use of petroleum,” said Heather Trim of People for Puget Sound, a leader in the nascent campaign to defend Seattle’s ordinance. “The people of Seattle have always stood up and rejected attempts by special interests to buy elections and dictate policy.  We believe they will do so once again.”
 
Indeed, the Green Bag Campaign—the name of the effort to approve the August referendum, has adopted the slogan “Hands off Seattle” to reflect their belief that groups like the American Chemical Council shouldn’t have undue influence over the bag fee legislation. 
 
“We want to make it clear that this is outside money backed by the largest oil and chemical companies in the world,” said Brady Montz of the Sierra Club, one of many environmental and community organizations endorsing the campaign.  “The fee is optional—if you bring a reusable bag you won’t pay a cent—and the benefits, from reducing waste and pollution to less petroleum use, are priceless.”
 
With today’s council vote the issue will be placed on the August ballot.  The Green bag Campaign is already planning a grass roots campaign and hopes to raise enough resources to counteract the influx of industry money. 
 
“We know we won’t have the financial resources of big oil and the chemical industry,” said Montz.  “But we will have volunteers, citizens and businesses throughout Seattle helping spread the word.  In a matchup between the people of Seattle and polluting special interests, I like our chances.”