When I first started using reusable bags there were occasions when I would forget my bags. A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found it could take between 18 and 254 days for a habit to form. The plastic bag ban goes into effect on March 1, 2016; this allows time to form the reusable bag habit.

Articles attempting to link plastic bag bans and food borne illnesses should be read more carefully as the correlation is not the same as causation. I am not saying that bacteria will be nonexistent in a sample of unwashed reusable bags. I agree that we need to get in the habit of cleaning our reusable bags on a regular basis, as with other items used frequently, (such as cell phones, purses) for hygienic reasons.

My understanding of the Kirkland plastic bag ban is that small meat and produce bags will still be available. These small bags can be used to surround an item such as meat to prevent cross contamination. Cloth grocery bags can be washed along with kitchen towels and rags so they are ready to use for the next shopping trip. A vinegar and water mix can be used to wipe down bags that are not machine washable. Some of my bags are more than five years old and all have remained reusable despite frequent use and washing.

I anticipate when the bag ban goes into effect there will be people who want to stand their ground and take their business outside of Kirkland in order to maintain their current plastic bag use. However, I hope that for the rest of us the plastic bag ban will be the encouragement we need to incorporate the habit of reusable bags into our lives.

Christina Meyers, Kirkland