Plastic Bag Ban Starts This Week In Philadelphia
by Alex Lloyd Gross
As if the regressive soda tax was not hard enough on business owners, the city has come up with another way to separate money from the pockets of business owners and consumers. A ban on plastic bags. Critics say it will cost jobs an d increase prices. Proponents point to the positive effect it will have on the environment.
On July 1, 2021 this ban will take effect after a delay due to COVID. There will be what the city calls “a considerable time frame of nine months” for store owners to start phasing out of their stock and post signage. Single use plastic bags will no longer be used for customers to carry our purchases. This pertains to every kind of store in the city, not just grocery stores. After the education period is over, there will be a warning period. . To ensure businesses have ample time to comply with the law, from October 1, 2021 to April 1, 2022, the City will only issue warnings to businesses that are not in compliance; after April 1, 2022, the City will begin to fully enforce the ban.
To get more information, the city published a web page That has all of the info you need about this ban. You can bring your own reusable bag, or a box. Delivery drivers will not be allowed to use plastic bags as well.
The following bags are exempt and can still be used.
- Dry Cleaner Bags.
- Bags sold in packages containing multiple bags intended for use as garbage bags or to contain pet waste or yard waste.
- Bags used inside a retail establishment by a customer to deliver perishable items to the point of sale (including bags used to package bulk items, meats or fish, unwrapped prepared foods, bakery goods, flowers, potted plants, or similar items).