Plastic Bag Ban Up For Vote Thursday In Abington

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA —It's becoming quite the common law in Montgomery County.

Banning plastic bags was enacted this past year in Upper Dublin Township, and Cheltenham Township, and took hold in Phoenixville at the start of the year. Upper Moreland Township got the ban rolling in July 2023.

Now Abington Township might join the group of Montco municipalities in supporting the pro-environmental effort.

On the agenda before the Abington Township Board of Commissioners for Thursday's first meeting of the year is an item to advertise a single-use plastics ordinance.

The agenda includes a “Motion to authorize advertisement for an Ordinance on Single-Use Plastics and Expanded Polystyrene Foam Products.”

Township officials began discussing the change in October 2023 with the Abington Township’s Environmental Advisory Council recommending a Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene Products Ban Ordinance.

Residents were also asked in a survey whether they supported the measure.

Banning plastic bags means a marked change for area grocery stores and some restaurants.

In most cases, paper bags replace plastic, and reusable bags will be promoted. Advocates point to plastic bags clogging storm drains, worsening flooding, as well as other ecological harms.

Plastic production is expected to surpass coal for yearly carbon emissions and net climate change impact by 2030. The consequences of plastic use include an increase in litter, ground-level ozone, solid waste generation, harm to wildlife, and more.

Plastic bags also contribute to the rise of microplastics in the human body.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the 2nd Floor Board Room of the Abington Township Building, 1176 Old York Rd.

Patch Staff Writer Justin Heinze contributed to this story