Philadelphians may soon have to pay a 10-cent fee for paper bags in the city. Philadelphia City Council on Thursday passed legislation sponsored by Councilmember Mark Squilla, adjusting the city’s plastic bag ban to include a 10-cent fee.
The bill, which advanced in city council last week, still has one hurdle to clear before becoming law. Mayor Cherelle Parker has yet to indicate if she intends to sign the bill into law.
If Parker signs the bill into law, businesses would be required to charge 10 cents per paper bag used and post signs telling customers of the new fees. Full text of the bill is available on city council’s website.
Last week, a member of the Parker administration voiced concerns over the bill during testimony at a Committee on Licenses and Inspections session.
Carlton Williams, director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, testified last week that the Parker administration is “concerned with some of the unintended consequences this legislation could have on our local economy, primarily the mom-and-pop businesses, by requiring retail establishments to charge a checkout bag fee.”
In a statement Thursday, Faran Savitz of PennEnvironment said the bill would lead to “less waste and less litter” in the city.
“Philadelphians have had enough of plastic bags blowing down our streets and through our neighborhoods, seeing plastic bags stuck in curbside trees and bushes, or in our parks and other outdoor places we love,” Savitz said, in part. “This legislation will add clarity to businesses and shoppers alike, to further help reduce the use of plastic bags in the City of Brotherly Love.”
Philadelphia first passed a plastic bag ban in 2019 but didn’t implement it until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
contributed to this report.