PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia City Council committee has approved a bill that would allow stores to charge for non-reusable bags.
The bill would let stores charge 10 cents for paper bags. It’s an amendment to the city’s plastic bag ban that has kept an estimated 200 million plastic bags out of the waste stream each year.
Bill sponsor Mark Squilla always envisioned a fee on non-reusable bags, but couldn’t get it through council when the original bill passed. Now, he says, a study shows the lack of a fee has led to an increase in paper bag use.
“The goal of the bill was to bring your own bag, and if you did have to pay, you’re more likely to remember to bring that bag with you and hopefully to reduce litter,” Squilla said.
Clean and Green Commissioner Carlton Williams, paradoxically, testified against the bill, citing potential effects on low-income Philadelphians.
“This well-intended bill may unintentionally cause harm, especially given the current economy,” Williams said.
But Maurice Sampson of Clean Water Action said the opposite is true; low-income shoppers can avoid the fee by bringing bags, but when stores pass along the cost of bags instead of charging a fee, everyone pays.
“Any attempt to not put a fee on the bags means that they are now going to have to raise their prices for the people who most need it,” Sampson said.
Paper bags biodegrade better than plastic, but still contribute to litter and harm the environment. Squilla agreed to exempt bags used for prepared food from the fee.
The bill passed unanimously and now goes to the full council.