Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban For PA Proposed

PENNSYLVANIA — Pittsburgh and Philadelphia already have banned single-use plastic bags and now a proposal for a statewide prohibition on them has surfaced.

Sen. Judith Schwank, a Berks County Democrat, plans to introduce legislation that would ban the usage of single-use plastic bags by all retailers in the state.

"Plastic bags degrade slowly—often over hundreds of years—and frequently break down into harmful microplastics," Schwank wrote in a memo to colleagues seeking support for the measure. "These microplastics have been detected in drinking water, wildlife, and even human blood and brain tissue, raising serious health concerns."

The coming bill, which Schwank said was developed by a group of student advocates, would mimic conditions in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and allow retailers to offer recyclable paper bags for a fee. Retailers would be allowed exemptions for items such as produce, frozen foods and prescription medications.

The legislation also includes an educational campaign through the Department of Community and Economic Development.

"Plastic pollution poses serious threats to our environmental rights, public health, and community resources," Schwank wrote. "The time has come to enact statewide policy addressing the consequences and harmful impacts of single-use plastics."