June 11, 2015
A bill that would require all stores in Philadelphia to charge a nickel for every plastic or paper shopping bag has been withdrawn, CBSPhilly reports.
The proposal, introduced in April by 1st District Councilman Mark Squilla, would force retailers to charge shoppers 5 cents for every bag used at purchase.
The committee was scheduled to discuss the measure Wednesday, but Squilla decided to table the idea because not enough of his Council colleagues favor it.
“Right now we just don’t have the support from Council as a whole,” he told CBSPhilly. “I think we have to go back and try to tweak the bill a little more, to try [to] build support among the members. The major concern seemed to be how would [we] supply the needy people with bags if they didn’t have them, and the cost added to their purchase. So we need to come back with a better way to supply bags.”
Under the proposed plan, stores would keep 3 cents of each nickel fee, while the remaining 2 cents would go to the city to fund anti-littering programs. Squilla plans to revisit the measure in the fall.
City Council members attempted to ban plastic bags entirely back in 2007 and 2009 with no success.
Read more from CBSPhilly.
