Single-use plastic bags may be short-lived in Pittsburgh because they’re too long-lived.
Councilwoman Erika Strassburger is set to introduce legislation Monday that would place restrictions on single-use plastic bags in the city, according to a Friday announcement.
Details of the legislation weren’t immediately available, but it would likely add a fee — no less than 15 cents — on paper bags, according to a spokesperson for Ms. Strassburger. Plastic bags wouldn’t be an option.
The goal is to encourage customers to instead opt for reusable bags, reducing the amount of plastic in the city to tackle environmental and health concerns.
“People are trying to do it in their individual ways, but obviously we can make a much bigger dent if we have policy,” said Ashleigh Deemer, the deputy director at PennEnvironment, an environmental group that worked with the councilwoman.
__________
READ MORE: Go here to follow the journey of the plastic bag
__________
Following their own “back of the napkin” calculations, Ms. Deemer expects the bill could prevent more than 108 million single-use plastic bags from entering the waste stream, based on bag consumption in the city of Pittsburgh.
That type of change is needed, she said. A March report from PennEnvironment’s Research and Policy Center examined 53 waterways across Pennsylvania and found that all of them had microplastic contamination.
“We know plastic pollution is pretty pervasive and that those plastics break down and find their way into our waterways,” Ms. Deemer said. “The sooner we can get this done, the more plastic we can keep out of our environment.”
The fight against plastic bags isn’t new. Critics of these types of restrictions argue a ban would increase costs for consumers, drive down spending and eliminate jobs. Advocates say eliminating plastic is necessary for environmental and health concerns as well as reducing litter in the city.
In early 2020, Giant Eagle began a six-month pilot project to remove plastic bags from several of its Western Pennsylvania and Ohio locations, but the grocery chain paused the initiative that March due to COVID-19 safety reasons.
In May this year, Ms. Strassburger first put forth a resolution expressing the “intent to introduce” an ordinance limiting the use of plastic bags. At that time, the legislation was pending the expiration of a state regulation barring cities from enforcing rules on single-use plastic.
In Philadelphia, a ban on single-use plastic bags went into effect in July. Noncompliant businesses will be issued a warning through April 2022.
The legislation in Pittsburgh would likely not go into effect immediately, Ms. Deemer said.
“It’s going to take time to get all this information out to retailers and to make reusables available and to educate the public,” she said. “I don’t think anyone’s goal is to say you’re not complying ... . Everyone just wants to make sure people have the information and resources to get this done.”
Although no plans have been finalized, she said, there are already discussions about how the city, retailers and other organizations can help make sure reusable bags are accessible to residents.
Lauren Rosenblatt: lrosenblatt@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1565.
First Published: November 19, 2021, 9:57 p.m.
Updated: November 21, 2021, 6:50 p.m.
