City Council’s bill to charge 10 cents for paper bags to become law despite lack of support from mayor

Philadelphia's proposed 10 cent fee on paper bags will become law despite a lack of support from Mayor Cherelle Parker.

The extra cost per bag would be implemented at retail establishments, although it would not apply with deliveries, drive-thrus or takeout orders. The proceeds from the fee would go to the stores. City Council approved the legislation on Oct. 30, and Parker returned it unsigned Thursday, meaning it will become law without her signature.

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The legislation states that the fee will go into effect 60 days after it's approved, however Councilmember Mark Squilla (D-1st), who introduced the bill, said that he's willing to work with the administration on a longer implementation timeline. A bill banning plastic bags in the city was initially approved in 2019, but did not go into effect until 2021.

Parker had the option to veto the legislation, sign it or allow it to become law without her signature. The mayor said that while she supports the intent to reduce single-use bags, she couldn't give it her full support.

"I remain concerned with some of the unintended consequences this legislation could have for our local economy and low-income Philadelphians, especially our communities of color," she said in a statement. "Without protections for low-income residents, such as Philadelphians who use SNAP or WIC benefits to pay for groceries, senior, and communities of color, this well-intended bill may unintentionally cause harm."

Had Parker vetoed the bill, City Council could have called for another vote to pass the legislation without her approval. However, it would have needed 12 votes for it to become law. It originally passed 10-5, although two members did not vote because they were not present at the session.

Squilla said the bill was not intended to be an extra cost on poor residents, as many stores already charge a fee for bags and reusable tote bags are often given out for free at community events. He said when the fee on plastic bags was first implemented, low-income households were the first to comply because they couldn't afford the fee while households with larger incomes opted to just pay the extra cost. But he's confident that it will mean less paper bag usage overall.

"We saw in the past, once there's a fee associated with it, even if it's 10 cents, five cents, whatever that is, it's enough to make people remember to bring their own bag," Squilla said. "We're hoping that this fee will now encourage more people to bring their own bags and work with anybody who has challenges in receiving them."

Some who voted against the bill expressed concerns that the timing of the legislation coincided with the freeze to Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Benefits, which also put a strain on low-income consumers. SNAP benefits are supposed to be restored in the coming days following the end of the government shutdown.