There will be a delay in the start of the City of Pittsburgh's plastic shopping bag ban.
In a release, Mayor Ed Gainey said the ban will begin October 14 rather than April 14 in his words, "to make this as smooth as possible for all of us."
An updated amendment has added the following new details:
Adding a requirement that the City launch and maintain a webpage dedicated to providing public information on the policy; Directing the Department of Public Works to cultivate and share lists of distributors for both compliant paper bags and reusable bags; Creating a three-step sanctions framework whereby inspectors can issue written warnings for initial violations which would then be followed by escalating fines.
Also pushed back is the date when businesses must post bag ban notices.
That's 90 days before October 14.
“It is critical for this success of this major initiative that the city is prepared to best help businesses and consumers make the transition,” Gainey in a release. “This extra time will allow us to do the work to be able to enact this policy with proper guidance for everyone in order to make this as smooth as possible for all of us. I would like to thank everyone on City Council, our environmental advocates, and community members for working with us to make this major piece of legislation a success.”
At the same time, the city is encouraging businesses and residents to go plastic-free before the deadline.