SALISBURY, Md.- The city of Salisbury is proposing a potential ban on plastic bags at retailers, grocery stores, and carry-outs. The ban could result in businesses using paper bags, although those sometimes come with a fee. That could encourage reusable shopping bag usage. Katie Ayd says one benefit of reusable bags is fewer plastic bags in her home.
"For me, it's really convenient,” Ayd says. “I think they hold a lot more there more study and it limits the amount of trash I have in my house."
Joan Windmuller says the ban may be a bit much. She likes having the plastic bags as a backup to her reusable ones.
"I feel like a ban may be a little severe but I do believe in cutting back on plastic bags and plastic water bottles,” Windmuller said. “So I do try to bring my own bags when I come. Sometimes I run out of them and have to use plastic bags."
Alyssa Hastings the City's Sustainability Specialist says this is just the planning stage and welcomes feedback but also says that plastic bags are the hardest to recycle. The ban would reduce the amount of trash in the Wicomico River.
So if the ban passes just know that these plastic bags may be a thing of the past. To give feedback on the ban proposal, email Alyssa Hastings at ahastings@salisbury.md.