Posted on 01/17/2026 2:53:26 PM PST by where's_the_Outrage?
Shoppers across the US are seeing higher charges at grocery store checkouts as a new phase of a carryout bag law tied to 2026 environmental goals takes effect, increasing the minimum fee for plastic bags statewide.
Under the law, which took effect on January 1, retailers and restaurants must now charge at least 12 cents for each plastic film carryout bag, up from the previous 8-cent fee, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The minimum charge for paper carryout bags remains unchanged at 8 cents.
The fee is part of legislation passed in 2020 aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastic bags and encouraging shoppers to bring reusable alternatives. It comes after we debunked a huge myth about the Trump stimulus checks.
State officials said businesses are allowed to charge more than the minimum fee. The charge is considered a taxable retail sale and goes directly to the business rather than the state.
Washington is among several states and local governments that impose bag fees or bans as part of broader efforts to reduce plastic waste. In some states, the fees apply statewide, while in others they are enforced through local ordinances.
State officials are urging consumers to bring their own bags to avoid the added cost. Peter Lyon, manager of Ecology's Solid Waste Management Program said in a statement: “Paper and plastic carryout bags impact the environmental at every stage of their production, transportation, and disposal.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.”
— Mark Twain
“Across the US”?
A few scattered Leftist states?
This is true bullsh_t.
I thought this went away after Covid, as they wouldn’t let people bring their own, possibly contaminated, bags into the store.
Well... no.
I know this will shock people who live in countries the size of postage stamps but what happens in the crazy state of Washington has no impact on the rest of the country.
So if you use Instacart, the Instacart driver has to wait until you unload your groceries, and then you give the Instacart driver your bags back to use again for you next time? This could get complicated.
Confused me too. Not happening where I live.
... encouraging shoppers to bring reusable [ germ and bacteria filled ] alternatives.
A direct assault on families and the non-rich, just about as direct as it can get, checking out with two carts of groceries and the government is blocking the store from neatly bagging them for you for free.
What a mess for families and working class people who buy in bulk and don’t shop daily, not to mention parking a long, long way from the store doors, and all with 2 or 3 kids.
My local grocery store had 10 cents a bag for almost a year and then suddenly it just stopped doing it.
Of course. Democrat states and media making it look like it is Trump’s fault.
Paper bags cause no problem at all
No, they will just charge you for the bags.
It’s blue state BS....Bogus headline.
Confused me too. Not happening where I live.
Nor where I live.
Leftist are so used to living under over-regulated dictators they don’t realize there is anything else. I read an article during Covid from a woman who was shocked at the things “allowed” after moving from a blue state to a red state.
And during the $camdemic many stores BANNED bringing your own bags for fear of coup-flu cooties.
“Across the US”?
The “Mirror” (UK?) has bad journalists...in their story:
“...the Washington State Department of Ecology...”
(not nationwide).
California for example has their own bag law change as of 1-1-26...no plastic bags at all...paper only. The leftists cannot make up their mind....CA went from no paper (”the trees, the trees”) to thin plastic, then to thick plastic “reusable” (with low-income peeps getting them free). Now paper again. About a 40 year full cycle! 🤪
It’s all Trump’s fault.
“I know this will shock people who live in countries the size of postage stamps but what happens in the crazy state of Washington has no impact on the rest of the country.”
Yes and no. No direct impact, generally, but the Leftists get to try out their evil plans in those states, so when they get power nationally, they’ll know the tolerance level of the public.
In California, or when a bunch of states get together, they often can FORCE their evil plans on the rest of the country, as they’re presently trying to do with Electric Trucks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.