City Council Committee Amends Proposed Plastic Bag Ban To Only Ban 'Thin Plastic'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Plastic bags in Baltimore may get a little bit thicker if a new amendment to the plastic bag ban bill is approved by City Council.
On Monday, the Council's Judiciary Committee approved an amendment brought up by retailers that would lower the threshold for banned bags from four-thousandths of an inch to 2.25 thousandths of an inch.
The bill's sponsor, Councilman Bill Green, said the amendment dramatically undermines the point of the bill.
"Rather than actually eliminating plastic, which was the point of the plastic ban portion of the bill, now we're just pushing retailers into providing thicker plastic bags," Green said.
The bill aims to reduce plastic bag litter by encouraging people to utilize reusable plastic bags and charge them for paper bags. But Advocate with the Environment Maryland Kate Breimann said her organization's research shows that the slightly thicker bags likely won't be reused.
"These aren't going to be bats that people save on their trunk in the way that canvas bags are," Breimann said.
Residents shopping in Canton on Tuesday had mixed opinions on support for the ban.
"Like the government is already doing enough give us a break, freakin' give us a bag," said Laura Jones, shopper.
"I feel it's a good idea to get rid of it because it's ruining the environment," said Kevin Stokes, shopper.
This proposed ban still has to come out of committee and be voted on by all council members and they will have to approve this amendment to make it part of the ban.
Right now, Councilman Green said he still isn't sure when that will happen.
