Allegheny County officials considering county-wide plastic bag ban
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - One week ago, a ban on single-use plastic bags went into effect in the City of Pittsburgh.
While the kinks are still being worked out, Allegheny County leaders are not wasting time and are ready to extend the law to the greater region. They'll introduce legislation at their meeting on Tuesday.
Saturday morning, workers at the Giant Eagle on McIntyre Square in Ross Township scanned one item after another and placed them into a plastic bag. It's a routine that goes back decades.
Right now, you can still find these bags at shops in Allegheny County, but not in Pittsburgh, after a law went into effect on Oct. 14, banning single-use plastic bags at groceries, restaurants, and convenience stores. Now, the same rules may soon expand countywide, with four county council members sponsoring a similar proposal.
William Anker, who lives on Pittsburgh's northside, recognizes the impact on the environment.
"They're everywhere. They're all over the ground," Anker said.
The same goes for Bob Taylor of the North Hills.
"We need to do what we need to do to help the environment and keep it clean," Taylor said.
However, bringing reusable bags isn't always the easiest of tasks.
"I've got a trunk load of them; I just forget to bring them in every time I come in," Anker said.
Susan Chipley of Pittsburgh also doesn't exactly like the idea of buying a paper bag for $0.10.
"When considering something like this, you know, people are working within budgets to buy food for their families. Not everybody maybe can pay for their bags," Chipley said.
"It's only a dime, but money is tough as it is now," Anker said.
Plastic bags for fruits and vegetables, meat products, and dry cleaners would be exempt from the law, and there would be some leniency for about a year if it passes once in effect.
Either way, feelings remain mixed as folks start to adjust to the ban in Pittsburgh.
"If they're going to do it in one place, do it everywhere," Anker said. "It's gonna be tough. It's a change."
A vote won't come for some time. It will first have to go through the committee.