Issaquah Voters Uphold Plastic Bag Ban

Media Releases

Environment Washington

Issaquah voters have shown support for the city’s plastic bag ban by voting “no” on Proposition 1, which would have overturned the plastic bag ordinance and is likely to fail.

In June of 2012, the Issaquah City Council voted in favor of banning single-use plastic grocery bags, and the ordinance went into effect in March 2013. However, an initiative on the ballot this month, Proposition 1, would have overturned Issaquah’s ban on plastic grocery bags if passed.

Environmental organizations like Environment Washington and Washington Conservation Voters support plastic bag bans because of the bag’s negative impact on the environment. 

“Once plastic bags make it out into waterways, like Puget Sound, they remain forever, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces that marine wildlife like orcas, seals and seabirds often mistake for food,” said Katrina Rosen, field director with Environment Washington. Environment Washington has been advocating for a statewide plastic bag ban to protect the entire coast of Washington State.  

“We didn’t need to go backwards by repealing a law that works,” said Edie Gilliss, executive director of Washington Conservation Voters. “The law has already saved more than 10 million plastic bags from our landfills.”