Phoenixville Plastic Bag Ban Goes Into Effect With New Year

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Phoenixville's recent plastic bag ban went into effect on New Year's Day, marking a new era of environmental stewardship for the borough and a marked change for area grocery stores and some restaurants.

The ban was originally passed by borough council back on Jan. 9, 2024. Under the new ordinance, establishments cannot provide single use plastic bags or non-recycled paper bags to any customers.

"The use of single-use plastic bags has numerous severe environmental impacts, including increasing greenhouse gas emissions," the borough said. " The goals of the Councilmembers in passing this ordinance are to conserve resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste, litter, and water pollution, and to protect the public health and welfare."

Plastic production is expected to surpass coal for yearly carbon emissions and net climate change impact by 2030. Consequences of plastic use include 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.

Phoenixville said that enforcement of their new ordinance will not begin until mid-July to allow time to adjust to the new reality and use up the old inventory of plastic bags.

Phoenixville joins a growing number of municipalities and counties in Pennsylvania taking similar measures. Activists hope several more municipalities will join them soon.

Advocacy groups like PennEnvironment work directly with environmental action committees in individual townships where they've identified a will. 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.

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.

Statewide legislation has been introduced, but has stalled. Some individual corporations with a heavy local footprint, like Wegmans, have taken action as well.