Ban On Single-Use Plastic Bags Up For Consideration In Doylestown Boro

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — In a move to cut down on the amount of plastic entering the environment, Doylestown Borough is considering an ordinance that would ban single-use plastic carryout bags in the borough.

The ordinance is being proposed by the borough's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), which will hold an information session on Sept. 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. to hear what the community has to say before asking borough council to take action on a pending ordinance.

In a press release sent out by the borough, the EAC said it "recognizes there will be an effect on business operations and customers. We invite you to learn about the proposed ordinance and offer your feedback during this session. Although the meeting will primarily focus on business

operations, all are welcome to participate."

The proposed ordinance would ban businesses from using single-use plastic bags and would also regulate other carryout bags. Nearby Solebury Township passed a similar ban in June while Newtown Township adopted a resolution in April urging residents and businesses to consider alternatives to single use plastics.

"The widespread use of single-use plastics is a serious environmental problem facing all communities including Doylestown Borough. Plastic lingers in the environment, creating a visual blight on the landscape, burdening landfills, clogging waterways, and endangering marine life," according to information posted on the Doylestown Borough website.

Since 2016, the borough’s Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) has been discussing and researching the impact of single-use plastics on the community and how to mitigate the damage.
The efforts were partly inspired by a successful initiative that year led by a Central Bucks West High School senior to convert the school cafeteria from using polystyrene trays to reusable trays.

Over the next two years, the EAC met with business owners, hosted a presentation on sustainable restaurant practices, researched plastic life-cycle analyses, encouraged participation in "No-Straw November," and considered the viability of alternatives to single-use plastics.

In 2019, just before the pandemic, the EAC distributed a survey on single-use plastics to Borough residents and businesses. The survey indicated that a significant majority of respondents supported limiting the use of single-use plastics. (You can review the survey results here: Plastics Reduction Survey.)

Encouraged by the community support, the EAC developed recommendations to be submitted to Borough Council for an ordinance banning certain single-use plastic bags.

The same year, the EAC’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic bags
were halted when the Pennsylvania's legislature, through a fiscal-code bill, placed a moratorium on local government's authority to adopt new regulations on single-use plastics. The block was lifted in 2021.

In 2022, the EAC submitted a draft ordinance to council that would ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags (with certain exceptions) at commercial establishments. Consumers would be required to bring their own reusable bags or pay a fee directly to the establishment to obtain a recycled paper bag or a reusable bag. A copy of this draft ordinance is available here.

As of August 2022 the ordinance is under consideration by the Council.

The information session will be held at the Doylestown Borough Hall, 10 Doyle St, Doylestown 1890. Click here for more information about single-use plastics and the draft ordinance.