New county map shows retailers that have eliminated plastic bags

Cuyahoga County has just made life easier for sustainability-minded consumers who want to shop at local establishments without using plastic bags.

Driving the news: Yesterday, the county launched an interactive map highlighting retailers who joined the national trend of ditching plastic bags at their checkout lines.

• The map features stores that have gone completely plastic-bag-free, plus 31 locations that got county grants this year to eliminate plastic bags from their operations.

Why it matters: The map is part of a larger county initiative to eliminate single-use plastic bags through retailer incentives and a "bring your own bag" culture among shoppers.

The intrigue: The county made multiple attempts to ban plastic bags in recent years, but due to local opposition and a statewide preemption of local bans, it is now opting for carrots instead of sticks.

By the numbers: Roughly 319 million plastic bags are used every year in Cuyahoga County, virtually all of which end up in landfills or as litter on city streets and waterways.

What they're saying: "This map is designed to serve as a resource for shoppers who want to reduce plastic waste and protect our environment," county executive Chris Ronayne said in a statement.

💭 Sam's thought bubble: Let me identify myself as a shopper who wants to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment, but also one who routinely forgets to bring his own bag.

• I now keep a reusable bag on the coatrack by my front door and another in my car to coax me into better habits, especially on quick grocery runs.