Hudson County is getting in on the plastic ban craze, with Hoboken and Jersey City moving forward with measures that would impose sharp limits on when retailers can give plastic bags to customers.

The action by the two cities comes amid a global effort to limit the use of plastic bags. Advocates for the bans say plastic bags litter sidewalks and streets and clog oceans and waterways.

Veterinarians in Thailand said recently they found nearly 17 pounds of plastic inside the belly of a pilot whale found stranded on a beach.

Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, told The Jersey Journal that it's up to cities to take charge when governments on a larger level have failed to.

"This is a real scourge around the country and around the globe," Tittel said. "Plastic is not only killing sea mammals and birds, filling up our landfills, by the way the plastic comes from fracking so more natural gas wells and pipelines, so it's bad in every way.

California banned plastic bags in 2016 and New York is planning its own restrictions. A number of New Jersey municipalities have either banned bags or imposed fees intended to discourage their use. There is a bill floating around New Jersey's Assembly that would ultimately lead to a statewide ban.

Hoboken's ordinance received initial approval from its council on Wednesday. Jersey City's ordinance is up for first reading on June 13.

Both measures would largely require retailers to provide only reusable and/or recyclable paper bags to customers. There are exemptions, including bags to wrap newspapers, dry cleaning items, frozen foods, meat and fish.

Hoboken's bill specifies that retailers charge customers for the non-plastic bags (no more than 25 cents each for paper bags). They would be required to provide free paper or cloth bags to any customer using government assistance to purchase goods.

"We think it's an important step," Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said at a Thursday press conference. "The fact that the most densely population county in the state is taking this initiative is important."

Violations in Jersey City would result in a $100 fine per infraction. In Hoboken, the first violation would cost a retailer $100, $200 for the second and $500 for every subsequent violation.