Philadelphians will soon have to pay 10 cents for a paper bag
Philadelphians will soon have to pay a 10-cent fee for paper bags in the city after Mayor Cherelle Parker allowed the bill to become law without her signature.
The bill, sponsored by Councilmember Mark Squilla, adjusts language in the city's existing plastic bag ban to include a paper bag fee. Parker declined to sign or veto the bill, which was passed by City Council in October, instead returning it to council unsigned, allowing it to become law.
The bill encourages Philly residents to bring their own reusable bags to stores for shopping, with hopes of limiting the use of single-use bags. It requires businesses to charge 10 cents per paper bag used and post signs telling customers of the new fees.
The Parker administration raised concerns about the bill when it was introduced.
Carlton Williams, director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, testified last month 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 to council on Wednesday, Parker said she supported the bill's intent to reduce waste, while holding concerns for how low-income communities and local businesses could be impacted.
Squilla said in an earlier committee meeting that businesses like food trucks would be exempt from the fee.
Faran Savitz, of PennEnvironment, said in an October committee hearing that 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.