National Review: The Humiliating Failure of Washington State’s Plastic Bag Ban - The American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance (ARPBA)

Lawmakers favored political posturing rather than data.

Washington State lawmakers promised that banning single-use plastic bags would reduce waste, conserve resources, and protect wildlife. Instead, their virtue-signaling law has produced a humiliating series of unintended consequences that make the problem worse, while sticking retailers and consumers with the bill. The state’s own report admits as much.

According to the Washington State University research team tasked with evaluating the law, “The number of plastic bags distributed in Washington fell by 50 percent between 2021 and 2022. However, during the same time, total plastic use by weight increased by 17 percent.” Why, according to the September 2025 study findings? Because the … [PAYWALL}

Source: https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/10/the-humiliating-failure-of-washington-states-plastic-bag-ban