Aldermen call for plastic bag ban

Aldermen call for plastic bag ban

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Chicago Aldermen are considering banning plastic bags at large supermarkets in the city.

The proposed ordinance would require big grocery stores to offer re-usable bags instead.

First Ward Aldermen Joe Moreno is sponsoring the measure.

“They are horrible for our environment,” he told reporters Wednesday. “They are terrible for our Streets and Sanitation workers. You talk to any worker - when they clean out a sewer they’re pulling dozens and hundreds of these bags out. The City Council’s made some broad attempts to get rid of these in the past. But quite frankly, it’s time to get rid of them for good.”

The city currently requires businesses give customers the opportunity to recycle their plastic bags. But Moreno says that law isn’t tough enough.

Under his proposal, stores larger than 5,000 square feet “must provide resuable bags to customers, either for sale or at no charge.” Stores that continue to hand out plastic bags woulf face finds of $150 to $250 a day; stores that don’t offer reusable bags could be fined $50 to $150 a day.