Help Pass a Stronger BYO Bag Bill in Philadelphia!

Support Renewed BYO Bag Bill

Dear Councilmember, I am writing to urge you to support Bill #220364, the “Bring Your Own Bag" bill, which was overwhelmingly supported in December 2023 by you and/or your colleagues, but pocket-vetoed when former Mayor Kenney left office without signing the bill. I am very pleased to learn that CM Squilla plans to reintroduce the identical legislation as soon as there are nine co-sponsors, enough sponsors to guarantee passage at the moment the bill is introduced. I would be very proud if you renewed your support for the bill by signing on as one of the nine needed co-sponsors. The legislation will amend the Plastic Bag Ban with two important changes. First, it would correct language that currently allows for thicker plastic bags, often labeled as “reusable.” They are rarely reused and only add to the problem. The amending legislation also requires a $0.15 per bag fee for those who choose to use paper bags. Although the plastic bag ban made significant strides in reducing plastic use, the use of paper bags tripled. Paper bags can be recycled, but the production of paper bags generates substantial pollution. Studies show that fees are a disincentive that encourages shoppers to bring their own bags. Some mistakenly believe a fee on shopping bags will hurt the poor. Not so, in fact, the absence of a fee is a problem. While Philadelphia’s major supermarkets have stopped using plastic bags, more than 2,500 small convenience stores, sometimes called ‘bodegas,' serving Philadelphia's low-income, Black, and Brown neighborhoods continue to use plastic bags. Paper bags are two to three times more expensive than plastic. A program to enforce the plastic bag ban would unduly impact these stores and force them to raise prices for Philadelphia's poorest residents. A fee on making all bags a product that removes the burden on small store owner and a cost that their customers can avoid by bringing their own bag when they shop. Councilmember Squilla's new Bring Your Own Bag (BYOBag) bill will result in the use of fewer resources, reduced pollution, less litter, and lower costs. It's a win-win-win. Please once again support this legislation by co-sponsoring it, and ensure that a fee is imposed on all single-use bags. Thank you!