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Plastic bags litter our streets and streams, and their creation and disposal contributes to air and water pollution and climate change. Email the Mayor and City Council: it's about time to break free from plastic bags.
Baltimore City's proposed Plastic Bag Reduction Bill bans plastic bags in stores in Baltimore, with exceptions for bags used for products like fresh meats, unpackaged fruits, or ice, and locations like farmers' markets and pharmacies. It also puts a 5-cent fee on paper bags - part of which will help the store meet the extra cost of buying and storing paper bags, and part of which can help the city distribute free reusable bags. (Purchases made with SNAP, WIC, and similar programs will be exempt from the fee.) Of course, people bringing their own bags to the store won't have to pay anything - and that's the change we want to see!
Across the country, we're working to help businesses, governments, and individuals #ReThinkDisposable and move away from single-use disposable products to reduce these emissions. Stopping using plastic bags is only one of the changes we need to make to fight climate change and improve air and water quality - but it's a change we can make together, right now.
On Tuesday, August 6, the Baltimore City Council's Judiciary Committee held its first public hearing, and discussed but did not vote on the legislation and several potential amendments. The next step will be a Council work session on Wednesday, August 28 at 5PM. That means it's not too late to let the Council know what you think! Read our testimony here for more on the hearing and potential amendments, and click below to email the Council: it's time to #ReThinkDisposable plastic bags!