Pittsburgh Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags Arrives

PITTSBURGH, PA — Anyone who shops in Pittsburgh should be aware that the city's ban on single-use plastic bags goes into effect Saturday at all retail establishments.

The city approved the plastic bag prohibition in April 2022 but did not immediately put it into effect. Here's what to expect when the prohibition begins:

• Retailers will be able to provide a consumer with a recycled paper bag for a fee of no less than 10 cents; the retailer will fully recoup the fee.
• Shoppers who use cards or vouchers from either the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program or an EBT transfer card issued by the Department of Health and Human Services will be exempted from the 10-cent fee.
• Limited types of plastic bags will still be available for individual purchase or under certain exceptions. These exemptions include:
  • Any bag used inside a retail establishment by a customer to deliver perishable items to the point-of-sale, such as:
    • Bags used to package bulk fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, or candy.
    • Bags used to contain or wrap meats or fish.
    • Bags used to contain unwrapped prepared foods, bakery goods, flowers, newspapers, dry cleaning, or similar items.
    • Bags used to package medications distributed through a pharmacy.
  • Bags sold in packaging containing multiple bags packaged together during manufacturing, such as:
    • Food storage bags (e.g. Ziploc).
    • Garbage bags.
    • Pet waste bags.

Local businesses can continue to exhaust their remaining plastic bag stock until January, when city officials say strict enforcement of the ban will begin.