Proposed PA Law Could Drastically Change How You Shop

HARRISBURG, PA — Lawmakers in Pennsylvania will soon introduce a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags statewide, building on the momentum of the several years of action by municipalities and counties across Pennsylvania.

Statewide, a total of 39 municipalities have passed bans. Almost all of them are in the deeply blue Philadelphia suburbs, so the statewide ban would have wide-reaching effect.

"Embedded within our constitution is our right to clean air, pure water, and the preservation of our environment for the enjoyment and use of generations to come," State Sen. Judith Schwank wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "Plastic pollution poses serious threats to our environmental rights, public health, and community resources."

The bans have been widely praised as a much needed check on reckless overconsumption and production, and also criticized by some on the right as government overreach.

See also: Montco Accounts For Most Of PA's Plastic Bag Bans: Where The Movement Stands

The bill prohibits retailers from providing plastic bags at the cash register, but allows them to offer recyclable paper bags for a tiny fee. It would also likely make exemptions for things like produce, frozen foods, and prescription medications.

"Plastic bags degrade slowly—often over hundreds of years—and frequently break down into harmful microplastics," Schwank added. "These microplastics have been detected in drinking water, wildlife, and even human blood and brain tissue, raising serious health concerns."

In addition to health impacts, advocates point to plastic bags clogging storm drains, worsening flooding, and interfering with animals, as well as other ecological harms.

Schwank said the basics of the legislation were developed by young students in her 11th district, which covers Reading and about half of Berks County. The bill would also develop a public educational campaign through the Department of Community and Economic Development.

While statewide measures have been introduced before, they've struggled to gain traction in Republican-dominant legislatures. It's not yet clear whether the current makeup of the senate, which has 27 Republicans to 23 Democrats, will similarly restrict this bill, or if there is enough bipartisan appetite to push it through to the state house.

Plastic bag bans have been championed by environmental groups across the country and in Pennsylvania for a long time, though concrete government action at the local level was not taken until Narberth became the first municipality in the state to issue a ban in 2018.

Numerous others followed, especially in Montgomery County, which today accounts for 12 of the 39 communities that have issued similar ordinances across the state. A total of 36 of those 39 bans are in the five-county Philadelphia metro area. Only Lancaster, Pittsburgh, and Edgewood in Allegheny County have followed suit.

With previous proposed statewide legislation stalling, municipalities have worked with advocacy groups like PennEnvironment to build support and draft the details of their specific bans. Townships and experts work together to draft ordinances, which usually allow for a several month grace period before the ban is enacted. Officials work with model legislation that they say is culled from best practices learned in similar fights around the country.

Violating businesses typically receive written warnings, then progressive fines if they continue to refuse to comply. It's not yet clear if the statewide legislation will follow this exact model.