Kitsap County suspends prohibition on single-use plastic bags in unincorporated areas

Due to the growing COVID-19 crisis, on March 25, the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners suspended enforcement of the single-use plastic bag ordinance that went into effect January 1, 2020 for unincorporated Kitsap County.

Until further notice, grocers and other retailers may use any form of bag they choose including the previously prohibited film single-use plastic bags, and will not be required to charge an $0.08 pass-through fee for each bag. This suspension is due to  concerns that reusable bags could be contaminated with COVID-19 and may spread the virus to grocer's staff, surfaces and patrons. This suspension does not prohibit reusable bags, but leaves it at the discretion of individual businesses.

This suspension was requested by the Northwest Grocers Association and Washington Food Industry Association, and strongly supported by the Kitsap Public Health District, as a method to minimize the spread of the virus to essential workers and businesses.

Similar actions were taken by the cities of Port Orchard and Bainbridge Island in response to the current crisis. 

For additional information, please contact Eric Baker, Policy Manager in the Commissioners' Office, at (360) 337-4495 or ebaker@co.kitsap.wa.us.