Philly’s Plastic Bag Ban Starts Today!

Philly’s Plastic Bag Ban Starts Today!

Back December of 2019, City Council passed the ban on single use plastic bags.  However, due to delays caused by the pandemic, the ban was not put into effect until July 1st, 2021.

Although, the city’s ban is currently in place, officials will not fully enforce it until April 1st, 2022.  Now until October 1st, businesses must start to phase out the use of plastic bags.  Once October 1st hits, the city will issue warnings as well as implement a 9-month awareness and educational period. Businesses are encouraged to start phasing out the use of plastic bags as well as begin to place signage to notify their customers that the establishment will not longer provide single-use plastic bags and non-recycled content paper bags as of Oct. 1.

Officials, environmentalists and community leaders see the ban on plastic bags as a big step for the city towards cleaner streets and safer waterways.

Mayor Jim Kenney stated “Even in the wake of recovery from a global pandemic, the climate crisis and plastic pollution remain two very serious threats to our planet and society. Philadelphia is committed to continuing to advance our environmental goals, and while the ban on single-use plastic bags will go into effect later than we originally anticipated, we believe this timeline will help increase compliance. By building out an extended education and warning period, the City will be better able to ensure widespread awareness of the law to our diverse business owners and to residents and consumers.”