PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphians have reduced their use of disposable plastic bags almost completely since the city’s plastic bag ban took effect in 2021.
The plastic bag ban had one of the longest roll-outs of any law the city ever adopted. It was initially passed in 2019, didn’t go into effect until 2021, and then there was a nine-month grace period before actual penalties accrued.
But ultimately, it worked, according to a study released Thursday by professors at Swarthmore College and the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the Mayor's office, that measured the use of different types of bags in the first year of the bag ban.
Even with no penalties in place for most of the year, researchers saw a 94% reduction in single-use plastic bags, estimating that 200 million fewer plastic bags were used — enough to fill City Hall every eight months. The use of reusable bags doubled and paper bags tripled.
The ban’s sponsor, Councilman Mark Squilla, expects the shift to continue.
“As more and more you get used to that, it becomes second nature, and then some people will forget even being able to get plastic bags at a retail establishment,” he said.
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Squilla is a bit concerned that paper bag use went up more than reusable bags and says the law may need an amendment.
“We’re looking at what other municipalities have done to reduce that and usually that’s a fee on paper so we’re going to look at that and see if that’s something we could do in the future.”