Grocers, big chains to promote reusable bags

Instead of hearing "paper or plastic?" at the grocery store, you now may be asked, "Did you remember your bag?"

The new question is part of a voluntary program local grocers, including the biggest chains, have signed onto to promote reusable bags.

In the Aug. 18 primary, Seattle voters will consider a 20-cent fee on disposable bags at grocery and drugstores. Environmentalists and city officials support it. The plastics industry opposes it.

Grocers, caught in the middle, have officially remained neutral. So while voters weigh a mandatory fee, city leaders have teamed up with retailers on a less controversial effort.

Stores in the program — including all the big supermarket chains, independent stores, Target, and Bartell Drugs — are posting signs reminding people to bring reusable bags, promote their use, sell those bags in their stores, and donate reusable bags to low-income communities.

To start off, the city and participating stores this week gave 50,000 reusable bags to Northwest Harvest, which supplies food banks.

"We're really focused on the voluntary program right now," said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocery Association, which represents Fred Meyer, QFC, Safeway and Albertsons.

Gilliam was among those attending a Wednesday news conference with Mayor Greg Nickels, who proposed the bag fee, saw it passed by the City Council, then watched as the plastics industry raised money for a signature drive that put the issue on the ballot. While Gilliam's group doesn't necessarily oppose a fee, he said "our experience in the retail community is when you tell the customer what they have to do, it doesn't work very well."

Customers are starting to change their habits. Gilliam said reusable bag use has quadrupled in the past year.

Heather Trim, a spokeswoman for the campaign in support of the bag fee, said the voluntary program can only help.

"This is the stores and the retailers acknowledging that bags are a problem," she said.

Seattle residents use about 360 million one-time bags every year, according to Seattle Public Utilities. Three-quarters of them come from grocery, drug and convenience stores.

The 7-Eleven convenience-store chain has contributed some money to the campaign opposing the bag fee, along with the Washington Food Industry, a statewide trade organization that represents some independent grocers.

The biggest contributor by thousands of dollars to the well-funded campaign is the American Chemistry Council.

The council couldn't be reached Wednesday, but its Web site says the group — which represents the industry that makes plastic bags — thinks bag fees just add to families' grocery bills. The council supports plastic-bag recycling efforts.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com