Cuyahoga County is considering a 10-cent per bag fee on paper and plastic shopping bags.
County councilwoman Sunny Simon has introduced the measure. She says Lake Erie has grown increasingly polluted with plastic bags.
“The drive behind the legislation is to mitigate the damage that we’ve seen and to stop just the abundant use of these unnecessary single-use bags, and to replace them with reusable bags, and at the same time, start to clean up our waterways.”
The fee will apply to retailers with more than 7,000 square-feet. Simon says most of the money from the fee will go towards lake and trash cleanup, as well as reusable bags for the public.
Simon hopes the legislation comes before council for a vote by December.