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Organic foods cooperative PCC Natural Markets (PCC) said it supports the City of Seattle’s proposed ordinance to prohibit all retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags to shoppers as of July 1, 2012.

“PCC wholeheartedly endorses this highly visible and impactful step the City of Seattle is taking to reduce the considerable and unnecessary waste generated by the distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags,” says Tracy Wolpert, PCC’s CEO. “We know from experience that consumers will ultimately view this ban as an initiative proposed with the health and safety of our communities and the environment in mind.”

PCC discontinued offering plastic shopping bags to customers at all of its stores – within and outside of Seattle city limits – in October 2007. The grocer said that its shoppers responded very positively to the elimination of plastic bags at checkout, and that two-thirds of PCC customers bring their own reusable bags or opt not to use a PCC-provided paper bag for their purchases.

Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets is a certified organic retail cooperative with annual sales of $158 million and an active membership of 46,000 households. PCC operates nine stores in the Seward Park, View Ridge, Greenlake, West Seattle, Fremont, Kirkland, Redmond, Edmonds and Issaquah neighborhoods.