The Pittsburgh City Council is considering a ban of all single-use plastic bags amid a new resolution introduced by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger on Tuesday (May 4.)
“It’s not the kind of product that should be used once and then thrown away,” Strassburger told TribLIVE. “If we’re truly going to have a circular economy, we have to think about how we’re using plastic.”
Strassbuger argues that plastic bags are harming Pittsburgh's recycling machines, slowing down their process and since the state of Pennsylvania requires programs to be offered, municipalities should be allowed to enact their own restrictions.
Legislation to enact any restrictions has yet to be drafted as of Wednesday (May 5.) Pennsylvania municipalities are prohibited from enacting bans on single-use plastics until at least July 2021 in adherence with a provision legislators added to a 2020 budget bill, TribLIVE reports.
However, elected officials from Philadelphia, as well as West Chester, Narberth and Lower Merion, sued the State in March arguing that the prohibitions were unconstitutional.
The single-use plastic bag legislation introduced on Tuesday will be discussed during the council's meeting on Wednesday morning.
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