FILE PHOTO — A cart full of plastic bags filled with groceries waits to be taken out to the parking lot at Bailey's IGA in Rochester in this May 2014 file photo.
OLYMPIA — Don't worry about bringing those reusable bags to the supermarket after New Year's. The ban on single-use plastic bags has been put on hold.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation Friday suspending the law banning single-use bags that was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.
The delay, which will last at least until the end of January but could be renewed, is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is making it hard for stores to procure alternatives for several reasons, Inslee said in a news release.
There's more demand for paper and thicker plastic bags, due to increased demand for takeout and groceries. Retailers are asking customers not to bring bags from home, to protect workers. And companies that usually make thicker plastic bags are retooling their operations to make hospital gowns and other personal protective equipment.
