Allegheny County Council is set to consider a ban on single-use plastic bags that largely mimics a similar measure recently implemented in Pittsburgh.

The measure is set to be introduced to County Council on Tuesday. Council members Anita Prizio, Olivia Bennett, Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis and Paul Klein are sponsoring the legislation.

Much like Pittsburgh’s plastic bag ban, which went into effect earlier this month, the countywide bag ban would include exemptions for plastic bags used to package bulk items such as fruits and vegetables, to wrap meats or fish, to contain unwrapped prepared foods, to hold flowers or plants or to package medications through a pharmacy.

Garbage bags and bags used to store food or collect pet waste also are exempt from the ban.

The countywide bag ban would require people to bring their own reusable bags or pay a 10-cent fee per paper bag. Retailers would be able to keep the money collected from the 10-cent paper bag charge or donate funds to a charity, according to the legislation.

Under the proposed ordinance, people who use the Women, Infants and Children Program could get recycled paper bags for free.

Businesses would be fined $5 per noncompliant bag distributed or $50 per day for violating the ordinance, according to the legislation.

This comes after Pittsburgh’s plastic bag ban went into effect earlier this month. The city is not fining businesses who violate the measure until Jan. 1 as businesses acclimate to the change and use up their existing plastic bag inventory.

Some residents and businesses have expressed frustration and confusion over Pittsburgh’s bag ban since it went into effect.

The measures are meant to curb the negative environmental impacts of single-use plastic bags.

Officials have estimated Pittsburgh’s plastic bag ban could eliminate more than 108 million plastic bags from the county’s waste stream annually.

In the proposed Allegheny County bag ban legislation, officials cited statistics showing that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, and single-use plastic bags take about 500 years to decompose. A 2021 PennEnvironment report indicated microplastics were found in 100% of tested Pennsylvania waterways.

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