Ban On Plastic Bags Considered By Cuyahoga County Council

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Council is considering banning disposable plastic bags. If the legislation is approved, the ban would go into effect on October 1, 2019.

The measure would specifically target plastic bags used by retail stores in the county. Reusable bags would be encouraged in the place of plastic bags.

Violators that continue to use the bags would face, first, a written warning. If the violations continued, there would be a $100 fine for a second offense and a $500 fine for a third offense. The fines would be imposed against retailers, according to Fox 8.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs would be responsible for enforcing the prohibition on disposable plastic bags.

The legislation, as proposed, notes the environmental impact plastic bags have had both locally and across the world. For instance, the ordinance says, "...discarded disposable bags are a major source of litter, pollute our open spaces, harm and kill wildlife, clog storm drains resulting in localized flooding, end up as debris in our neighborhoods and waterways, and contributes to blight;...

The legislation was introduced by Sunny Simon and Dale Miller. Simon represents Beachwood, Euclid, Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, South Euclid, and Richmond Heights. Miller represents Lakewood, Brook Park and parts of Cleveland.