Plastic grocery bag ban nears reality in Thurston County

After a year of study and the solicitation of public opinion, the Solid Waste Advisory Committee has recommended a ban on all plastic garbage bags in Thurston County.

The only hold up – – approval by the seven cities and towns and the Thurston County Commissioners.

As recently released, the report prepared by the Thurston County Solid Waste staff said that plastic bags constitute a serious environmental and health hazard.  The report also said that “it is essential to have the same  ban on plastic bags that have been adopted by other municipalities.”

Some members of the Advisory Committee (composed of elected officials and appointed citizens) have said that a ban in Thurston County wouldn’t be effective unless every city and town approved the same ban.

Some city officials in Yelm have already expressed their opposition to a plastic bag ban.

In the next few weeks, members of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, along with staff members, will begin making presentation to the governing bodies of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater, as well as the smaller towns  in an effort to obtain consensus and approval of the report.

The complete report is available on line.