Some customers, business proprietors disappointed with Pittsburgh plastic bag ban

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Plastic baggage are now a detail of the earlier in Pittsburgh. A ban went into outcome on Oct. 14, banning plastic luggage in metropolis restrictions.

Transferring ahead, all grocery shops, eating places and usefulness retailers will be prohibited from applying plastic baggage. Consumers will have to use reusable bags or obtain a paper bag for 10 cents.

“It’s for a excellent objective. It is for a Pittsburgh that is cleaner and that is sustainable for our upcoming generations so that our young ones and our grandkids have a Pittsburgh that we can be proud of. It truly is litter absolutely free and has a nutritious ecosystem for every person,” stated Councilwoman Erika Strassburger.

Strassburger proposed the laws to metropolis council previous 12 months.

“The full intention in this article is to essentially consume fewer, I would say quotation-unquote ‘free bags.’ They’ve never ever truly been free of charge. They have just been wrapped up in the cost of performing business enterprise,” Strassburger claimed. 

Jeff Cohen owns Smallman Road Deli in the Strip District and stated whilst he is on board with supporting the environment, he thinks the metropolis should really have occur up with more realistic alternate options to plastic baggage. He reported using paper baggage for to-go orders is not suitable for shoppers.

“You can’t place your paper bag in on the right facet because if you place it sideways what will materialize with sandwiches is, they will be messed up and folks want their income back again,” Cohen claimed.

Cohen reported he’s tried using to discover options but thinks the metropolis must have assisted dining places and other firms in advance of placing the ban in spot.

“I have generally stated this: I do not believe federal government should be into people’s company. They are there to regulate matters, and not to inform men and women how to run their business. In this situation, the metropolis ought to have occur up with about a fifty percent a dozen unique alternatives to assistance the companies to have options to transform from plastic to paper,” Cohen reported.

Meanwhile, some yinzers reported they are even now hoping to change the ban.

“I am for the ban, but I want to get utilized to bringing my have bag, which I am forgetting,” stated Nancy Tamilia, who will work in the city of Pittsburgh.

Plastic baggage not integrated in the ban include modest fruit and vegetable bags at the grocery retail store or these applied to wrap meat products. Also exempt from the ban are plastic bags used at the dry cleaners or at pharmacies when packing remedies.

Everywhere you go else, like liquor outlets, grocery merchants and places to eat, are banned from making use of plastic luggage. Some people are worried about the price of purchasing paper bags at destinations like the grocery keep.

“If it can be 10 cents, it will insert up in my funds,” Jane Umalin mentioned, a Pittsburgh resident.

“I’m form of not with it at the grocery keep because I require more baggage,” explained Amy Terhorst, a Pittsburgh resident.

Others explained they’re in favor of the ban and turning to extra sustainable solutions to reduce squander in the town.

“We today obtained a bag at the bakery and are psyched to do that. So I feel it’s a terrific point for Pittsburgh and for the atmosphere for the entire world,” Dawn Klejka mentioned.

Suitable now, businesses have a grace period of time where by if they have a stockpile of plastic baggage, they can carry on to use them until finally Jan. 1.

Just after that, the town will be conducting inspections in which a company could get fined up to $250 for using plastic baggage.

For extra data on the plastic bag ban, click listed here.