Plastic Shopping Bag Survey 1. Check the box that best describes where you live. Response Response Percent Count Bucoda 0.8% 29 Lacey 24.8% 939 Olympia 30.4% 1,152 Rainier 1.7% 65 Rochester 2.9% 108 Tenino 2.1% 80 Tumwater 7.0% 265 Yelm 7.1% 267 Unincorporated Thurston County 17.4% 658 I do not live in Thurston County 5.8% 221 answered question 3,784 skipped question 0 1 of 142 2. Please rate the following statements: Strongly Strongly Rating Response Agree Neutral Disagree N/A Agree Disagree Average Count I always recycle my plastic 43.3% 30.9% 11.3% 7.9% 4.5% 2.1% 1.97 3,449 grocery bags. (1,495) (1,066) (390) (273) (154) (71) I am concerned about the amount 57.0% 27.5% 8.9% 3.0% 3.4% 0.2% of litter and trash plastic bags 1.68 3,429 (1,954) (943) (306) (104) (116) (6) create. I always use reusable bags when I 20.3% 33.7% 24.0% 13.8% 6.7% 1.4% 2.52 3,431 shop. (698) (1,157) (825) (472) (230) (49) Making plastic bags uses too many 42.2% 24.3% 20.1% 5.4% 6.4% 1.7% 2.08 3,373 resources. (1,422) (819) (678) (183) (215) (56) I always reuse my plastic bags for 63.7% 27.3% 4.9% 1.5% other purposes, like picking up pet 1.7% (58) 1.0% (34) 1.47 3,452 (2,198) (942) (168) (52) waste or lining my trash can. I am concerned about marine 62.3% 23.3% 8.1% 3.1% 0.4% animals and birds being injured or 2.7% (92) 1.60 3,424 (2,134) (799) (279) (106) (14) killed by plastic bags. answered question 3,493 skipped question 291 3. Are plastic bags recyclable in your curbside recycle cart? Response Response Percent Count Yes 12.4% 428 No 61.5% 2,130 I don't know 26.1% 905 answered question 3,463 skipped question 321 2 of 142 4. The average American uses 350-500 plastic shopping bags each year. How many of these actually get recycled? Response Response Percent Count 5% 63.7% 2,161 35% 28.2% 955 65% 5.8% 198 95% 2.3% 78 answered question 3,392 skipped question 392 5. Would you support an ordinance in Thurston County that bans plastic "check-out" bags in retail stores and allows stores to charge a fee for paper bags? Response Response Percent Count Yes 49.2% 1,725 No 25.9% 907 Maybe - I need more information 24.9% 873 answered question 3,505 skipped question 279 3 of 142 6. We would like to know your thoughts about plastic bag use in Thurston County! (ex: What do you like about plastic bags? How can we increase bag recycling? What are some arguments for or against a ban on plastic bags?) Response Count 1,569 answered question 1,569 skipped question 2,215 4 of 142 5 of 142 Page 3, Q6. We would like to know your thoughts about plastic bag use in Thurston County! (ex: What do you like about plastic bags? How can we increase bag recycling? What are some arguments for or against a ban on plastic bags?) 1 Being able to recycle at curbside. Oct 15, 2012 7:35 AM 2 I hate plastic bags but don't want to create new challenges for low-income folks Oct 12, 2012 3:18 PM related to fees. 3 Plastic bags and bottles should be banned. Oct 12, 2012 2:48 PM 4 I like using plastic bags to line my trash cans and to carry items to and from Oct 12, 2012 2:46 PM home. 5 I avoid them and use paper or reusable when possible. Oct 12, 2012 12:23 PM 6 You can reuse them over an over. Oct 12, 2012 12:11 PM 7 Provide incentives to use or switch to reusable. Provide reusable bags for free. Oct 12, 2012 11:19 AM Fine businesses that continue to use or provide. 8 Don't allow. Make people buy them like in Europe. Oct 8, 2012 1:34 PM 9 -am not in favor of cutting old growth for paper bags. -if paper gags come from Oct 8, 2012 11:05 AM recycled produts-for sure. 10 I can reuse them for other things. However, retailers are too wasteful by not Oct 8, 2012 11:03 AM filling them all the way *shoppers* litter bags when it is not always necessary. 11 Light weight. Easy to Handle-I don't forget to take them in. Oct 8, 2012 10:42 AM 12 Have more places to recycle bags. People don't wash their reusuable bags, and Oct 8, 2012 9:48 AM I don't like the unsanitary problems. 13 We all shold return them to the place where they shopped! Oct 8, 2012 9:36 AM 14 Plastic bags can almost always be used for other than their original purpose. Oct 8, 2012 9:32 AM 15 Make plastic bags that cost 50cents and last to be re-used. Oct 5, 2012 4:24 PM 16 Plastic bags are hazardous to the environment and should no longer be Oct 5, 2012 3:34 PM available for use. I use paper bags. 17 It's good that some grocery bags now give discounts for bringing your own bags. Oct 5, 2012 3:18 PM 18 I like to use plastic bags for garbage-yard waste. Oct 5, 2012 3:17 PM 19 Ban packaging Oct 5, 2012 3:02 PM 20 Light-have plastic bqags recycled in garbage pick-up Oct 5, 2012 3:00 PM 21 Humanity has surpassed the planetary carrying capacity, and it makes sense Oct 5, 2012 2:49 PM according to the precautionary principle, to take immediate and urgent actionto lessen our impact. 22 fold & hand in to food bank.Or reuse at times. Oct 5, 2012 2:29 PM 6 of 142 Page 3, Q6. We would like to know your thoughts about plastic bag use in Thurston County! (ex: What do you like about plastic bags? How can we increase bag recycling? What are some arguments for or against a ban on plastic bags?) 23 No more plastic bags.! Oct 5, 2012 2:27 PM 24 Reusable, but these bags are reusable to the max! Oct 5, 2012 1:58 PM 25 My DD clients reuse them and they're free for them. Oct 5, 2012 1:52 PM 26 To be able touse them when I need them for stuff around my house. I agree that Oct 5, 2012 1:35 PM we should get rid of plastic bags. We are filling up our land fills to quickly. 27 I'd support a tax on plastic bags-enought to cause stores to offer a 5 cent rebate Oct 5, 2012 1:22 PM to customers for reusing bags. then when the bags are worn and torn, the DEQ could have a $100,000 sweepstates, with 20 broken bags turned intor recycling to enter. 28 I do re-use mine several times over for various causes. Very helpful when Oct 5, 2012 11:45 AM carrying objects containing moisture. 29 But they make great poop bags for dogs. Oct 5, 2012 11:43 AM 30 Plastic bags can be useful when you need a cheap waterproof container. Oct 5, 2012 11:41 AM 31 Increase with curbside pick-up Oct 5, 2012 11:39 AM 32 People need to be more aware of bringing your own bag. Oct 5, 2012 11:11 AM 33 Not a whole lot. Make recycling easier for people . Cost. Landfill. Oct 5, 2012 11:09 AM 34 I can carry a lot more at one time in plastic. Oct 5, 2012 9:45 AM 35 Offer it curbside. Oct 5, 2012 9:32 AM 36 ffff Oct 5, 2012 6:11 AM 37 Ban them! Oct 4, 2012 9:47 AM 38 It can be frustrating to be charged a monthly fee to recycle. Oct 4, 2012 9:07 AM 39 Curbside recycle for plastic would be nice! Oct 4, 2012 9:06 AM 40 I would like to see more plastic bags recycling, and more recycling of all that we Oct 4, 2012 9:00 AM use, paper, food, etc. 41 We reuse plastic bags alot in our house, but we also recycle them. Oct 3, 2012 10:02 AM 42 I support a ban. Oct 2, 2012 3:27 PM 43 Store signs in parking lots. Oct 2, 2012 2:58 PM 44 Sometimes plastic is useful for chicken at the grocery store. Need reusable Oct 2, 2012 9:53 AM options for that. 45 I like plastic bags but there should be an easier way to recycle. I take them to Oct 2, 2012 8:40 AM 7 of 142 Page 3, Q6. We would like to know your thoughts about plastic bag use in Thurston County! (ex: What do you like about plastic bags? How can we increase bag recycling? What are some arguments for or against a ban on plastic bags?) Fred Meyer but it would be easier to put them in my recycle bin. I use my cloth bags when I shop and for a lot more like my trips to Costco. People need more education also on what happens when plastic bags hit the environment. 46 How about an incentive to not use plastic bags and use reusable containers? Oct 2, 2012 8:34 AM 47 How about an incentive to not use plastic bags and use reusable containers? Oct 1, 2012 8:56 AM 48 I use my plastic bags for pet litter.