Bring your own bag Pittsburgh!

What to know now that Pittsburgh’s plastic bag law is in effect

Photo by Zach Barber | TPIN

Today, Pittsburgh’s long-awaited plastic bag law takes effect. Unanimously passed by City Council in April 2022, this law is a huge win for Pittsburgh and will help eliminate the pollution from over 110 million plastic bags that are used in the city each year. Here are a few helpful tips and reminders to make sure you’re ready to go:

• The law covers many types of business, not just grocery stores, so remember your reusable bags when you go shopping, when you get takeout, and anywhere else you might have gotten a plastic bag before!
• If you forget your own bag businesses can still give you a paper bag, but you’ll have to pay 10 cents for every bag you get.
• Plastic bags can still be used for produce, raw meats and fish, and for a few other exceptions.
• Avoid greenwashing! There are types of plastic bags out there that claim to be better for our environment by being “biodegradable”, “compostable”, or “oxodegradable” but they’re not actually better. The best bag is a reusable one you bring from home over and over again.

Check out the City of Pittsburgh’s website for more information and you can flag businesses breaking the law through 311. Pittsburgh’s bag law will keep our city’s streets, parks, and open spaces cleaner and safer. It’s great to see the city taking the lead in the fight against plastic pollution!