An Annapolis city council member formally introduced legislation last night to outlaw the use of plastic bags in all retail establishments within the city limits.
Under the bill, merchants would have to issue recyclable paper bags or reusable bags or face a fine of up to $500.
The aim of the ordinance is to protect the environment, said Alderman Samuel E. Shropshire, the bill's sponsor.
"Plastic bags are ending up in landfills and blowing around in the wind and ending up in waterways. They are treacherous and they fill up with sand and block storm drains," Shropshire said. "We treasure the Chesapeake Bay and our tributaries, and we want to leave these as an asset to future generations."
Annapolis' three-member Economic Matters Committee will review the legislation in the coming weeks.
Ross Arnett, who sits on the committee, said yesterday that he's already hearing from business owners who are concerned that a ban on plastic bags would be an unreasonable burden.
"On the surface of it, not having plastic clutter landfills and the water seems like a good thing," Arnett said. "On the other hand, I want to know how many trees we're cutting down to make paper bags. ... It's going to be a tough one to balance out and I want to hear what the experts have to say."
A public hearing is scheduled for July 23.
nia.henderson@baltsun.com