Stores may have to start charging consumers 10 cents for using paper bags at the checkout counter after City Council approved a bill on Thursday, but the controversial legislation didn't receive support from a supermajority so it might still see some more pushback before it's made into law.
The fee would apply to retail establishments, which would have to post signage noting the change 60 days after it goes into effect. There would be no additional charges for paper bags used in deliveries, drive-thrus or takeout orders.
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The bill was approved by a 10-5 vote and now awaits a signature from Mayor Cherelle Parker. If there were 12 or more yes votes, it wouldn't have needed the mayor's approval to become a law. At a hearing earlier this month, a representative from Parker's administration said she supports the bill's intent but fears it could harm low-income residents, WHYY reported.
Should the mayor veto the legislation, City Council has 10 days to decide whether to hold another vote on the bill. Two council members, Katherine Gilmore Richardson (D-At Large) and Kendra Brooks (Working Families Party-At-Large), were not present at Thursday's meeting.
Councilmember Anthony Phillips (D-9th) said he had intentions of voting yes on the bill, but discussions about the freeze on Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits during the public comment period led him to change his mind.
"Inflation's going up, our SNAP benefits are going to potentially be taken away and we just don't want to add more worry and trouble to people in the City of Philadelphia. ... It just felt like it wasn't the right time," Phillips said.
Councilmember Mark Squilla (D-1st), who introduced the legislation, refuted Phillips' comments, saying the bill isn't meant to be a financial burden. He also noted that reusable tote bags are often given out for free at functions and community events.
"The goal of this bill and legislation is to bring your own bag, not to charge you 10 cents for a bag, so it's really a behavioral change of bringing your own bags to locations to do that," Squilla said. "The change in behavior will not cost you anything because these bags are provided."
Paper bags are easier to reuse and recycle than plastic ones, but it takes more energy to produce them than their plastic counterparts. Reusable totes offer a more eco-friendly alternative, but as they take even more energy to make, it can take over 100 uses for a cotton bag to have the same carbon footprint of that of a plastic bag, the New York Times reported. However, that number can go down if they're made from more eco-friendly materials such as fabric scraps or lower-emission fabrics.
City Council passed similar legislation in 2019 banning the use of plastic bags in the city, however it didn't go into effect until 2021 due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials did not begin enforcing the ban until April 2022.
A 2023 study showed that immediately following the plastic bag ban, the percentage of consumers who used a paper bag more than doubled from 17.7% to 45.5% and reusable bag use went up from 21.9% to 41.7%. Following the formal enforcement, paper bag use began to drop as reusable bag use increased.