Release: Comptroller Henry's Remarks at 9/22 Plastic Bag Press Conference

Crest of the City of Baltimore

Bill Henry
Comptroller,
Baltimore City
204 City Hall - Baltimore Maryland 21202
(410) 396-5410

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Geoff Shannon, Public Relations Officer
(410) 387-5704

geoff.shannon@baltimorecity.gov

 

Comptroller Henry's remarks at Mayor Scott's press conference on the Comprehensive Plastic Bag Reduction Program rollout (commonly known as the bag ban):

"Well, to recycle an old plastic bag ban joke, looks like the eleventh time’s the charm…

Over many, many years, I’ve worked with numerous community residents and partnered with several advocacy organizations to champion the Comprehensive Bag Reduction Act. I’m very excited to see all that effort finally pay off.

  • I especially want to recognize Lisa McNeilly, Ava Richardson, and the rest of their staff at the City’s Office of Sustainability
  • Laurie Schwartz, Adam Lindquist, and their team at the Waterfront Partnership
  • John Racanelli and everyone at the National Aquarium
  • Former Councilman Jim Kraft, who took the first swing at this more than fifteen years ago
  • Maryland PIRG, Environment Maryland, and all of the folks at Blue Water Baltimore & Trash Free Maryland who couldn’t be here today.

By reducing our reliance on single-use plastic bags we’re able to better protect our neighborhood green spaces, public parks, and our waterways. We’re not putting Mr. Trash Wheel and his family out of work, but hopefully, they won’t have to do as much heavy lifting now, thanks to this legislation. That’s good news for anyone that enjoys seafood, water sports, or just the Inner Harbor. A healthier Harbor is good for Baltimore’s economy, so this is a win-win.

The Mayor and I have worked on this idea together for most of the last ten years and I want to take this opportunity to applaud his leadership in helping to move it through the City Council and into law.

We will still have to guide and support our area grocery stores, corner shops, and other retail businesses - all still dealing with the fallout of the COVID 19 pandemic - through these first months of implementation. They’ll need our help and we’ll need their feedback to execute this program effectively. That’s so vital to our goals. But I know that the Comprehensive Bag Reduction Act will be successful if residents, businesses, and government all listen to each other and work together.

And with that, I’d like to bring up Council President Nick Mosby."

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