Ordinance would ban single use plastic bags in Frederick
Frederick, MD – (MO) Single use plastic bags could be banned in Frederick City if a proposal by Alderwoman Donna Kazemchack is passed.
The ordinance would ban single use plastic bags, and require a 10 cent fee on paper shopping bags to be collected by merchant retailers.
Kerry Hessley, with the Sierra Club, is in favor of the ban. “A hybrid ordnance has two arms, one we prohibit what we don’t want to see in our environment and that is single use plastic carry out bags,” she said. “The second arm is we impose a minimum charge for paper and carryout bags as an incentive to use a reusable bag.”
Richard Bailey, who owns Earthly Elements, disagreed and said it’s an over reach of government. “This plan is not enforceable. I don’t see giving the bag police any information on what I do in my business. Its simply none of your business,” said Bailey.
Howard County and Montgomery County have passed single use plastic bag bans similar to one proposed by Alderwoman Kazemchack.
If passed, Frederick City would join other cities like Westminster, Baltimore, and Laurel that have banned single use plastic bags.