Title
Ordinance amending and supplementing the City Code at Title Six: Conduct, Article I: Regulated Rights and Actions, by adding a new Chapter 610 entitled "Prohibition on Use of Certain Bags and Checkout Bag Charge," to permit the use of only certain bags by retail establishments at the point of sale or for a delivery; and establishing a charge, payable by the customer to the establishment, for the provision of other types of bags; all under certain terms and conditions.
(Post Agenda held 12/17/21)
Body
WHEREAS, In an effort to combat the plastic pollution crisis, local and state governments across the United States and abroad have focused their efforts on regulating the use of single-use plastic bags; and,
WHEREAS, Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which requires 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. Single-use plastics are created through a process called fracking, which releases a toxic stew of air pollution that can cause asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiac problems, and birth defects; and,
WHEREAS, Single-use plastics not only create pollution in their creation, they also litter our communities, end up in our waterways, and obstruct our recycling machines. Following their use, single-use plastic bags take approximately 500 years to decompose; and,
WHEREAS, Single-use plastic bags do not biodegrade even when properly landfilled. The bags then end up shredding, and degrading into toxic plastic ribbons that contaminate the soil and water that then enters the food chain; and,
WHEREAS, PennEnvironment, a non-profit dedicated towards eliminating climate impacts, recently released a report that found microplastics in 100 percent of tested Pennsylvania waterways, which leads to microplastics in our drinking water, harming not only our environment but also potentially our physical health; and,
WHEREAS, Plastic Bags or film and Styrofoam present the City with difficulty in recycling, because they require specialized processing,...
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