Single use plastic bags are already banned in Pittsburgh. Now, the ban could go statewide.
Pennsylvania State Senator Judith Schwank, a Berks County Democrat, says she will introduce a statewide ban after she was approached by some students in her district.
Her proposed legislation cites a threat to the environment, public health and community resources.
“Single-use plastic bags are one of the most common sources of litter within our Commonwealth. Plastic bags degrade slowly—often over hundreds of years—and frequently break down into harmful microplastics,” Schwank writes in a memo to the Senate. “These microplastics have been detected in drinking water, wildlife, and even human blood and brain tissue, raising serious health concerns.”
While it would still allow plastic bags for things like produce or prescriptions, it would require retailers to charge a fee for paper bags.
Critics like the American Consumer Institute say the bans are counterproductive, leading to substantially higher plastic garbage bag sale.
And New Jersey said it noticed an increase in shopping basket thefts after its ban went into effect.