Washington Bag Ban, Fee & EPR Rules

Verified: July 29, 2026

Bag Ban Status

Statewide bag ban: active statewide ban. All retail. Small bags <882 cubic inches exempt from fee but PCR + labeling still required. Reusable film plastic carryout bags must be at least 2.25 mil thick (minimum rises to 4 mil on 2028-01-01). Apparel/general retail covered.

Plastic Bag Restrictions

Plastic carryout bags: active statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. Reusable film plastic carryout bags (min 2.25 mil) allowed with a $0.12 pass-through charge; bags 4 mil or thicker carry an extra $0.04 penalty ($0.16 total) from 2026-01-01 through 2027-12-31 (ESHB 1293). Minimum thickness rises from 2.25 mil to 4 mil on 2028-01-01.

Paper Bag Requirements

$0.08 per-bag pass-through charge (RCW 70A.530.020 as amended by ESHB 1293). 40% post-consumer recycled content required on paper carryout bags. Labeling required on paper bags ('reusable' / 'recyclable').

Recycled Content (PCR)

Paper carryout bag PCR: 40%.

Fees & Taxation

$0.08 per recycled-content paper carryout bag; $0.12 per reusable film plastic carryout bag (RCW 70A.530.020 as amended by ESHB 1293, from 2026-01-01); film plastic bags >= 4 mil carry an additional $0.04 ($0.16 total) from 2026-01-01 through 2027-12-31. Fee history: $0.08 per bag (paper and film plastic) from 2021-10-01 through 2025-12-31. Scheduled change 2028-01-01: reusable film plastic bag minimum thickness rises from 2.25 mil to 4 mil (delayed from 2026-01-01 by ESHB 1293, Ch. 312 Laws of 2025). The charge applies at every retail establishment, restaurants and takeout included — RCW 70A.530.010(6) defines 'retail establishment' as anyone selling or providing food, merchandise, goods, or materials directly to a customer, and RCW 70A.530.020(2)(b) contains no restaurant exception; the only statutory outs are food banks/food-assistance programs (RCW 70A.530.020(6)(c)) and bags provided to customers using food-assistance benefits (RCW 70A.530.030).

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

EPR for Packaging — enacted, pre-launch. Statute: SB 5284 / Recycling Reform Act / Ch 70A.208 RCW. PRO: Circular Action Alliance (CAA) - designated 3/4/26. De minimis: <$5M global revenue OR <1 ton WA covered material.

Local Ordinances

Pre-2021 local bag ordinances (Edmonds, Bainbridge Island, and others) are superseded by the statewide law — RCW 70A.530.050 preempts local carryout-bag ordinances as of Oct 1, 2021. The state rule governs at checkout.

Key Dates

Producer registration deadline: 2026-07-01. Full implementation: 2030-01-01. Litter tax study report (RCW 70A.530.060): delivered — Commerce/WSU carryout-bag policy report submitted to the legislature (statutory due date 2024-12-01); the legislature responded via ESHB 1293 (2025). 2026-10-01: Initial statewide collection list due. 2026-12-31: Preliminary needs assessment due. 2028-10-01: First five-year producer plan due. 2029-03-01: Non-PRO members cannot sell. 2026-01-01: $0.08 paper / $0.12 reusable film plastic (increased from $0.08/$0.08); film plastic bags >=4 mil carry an extra $0.04 penalty ($0.16 total) through 2027-12-31 (ESHB 1293). 2028-01-01: Reusable film plastic bag minimum thickness rises from 2.25 mil to 4 mil (delayed from 2026-01-01 by ESHB 1293, Ch. 312 Laws of 2025).