Council Action On 25-Cent Plastic Bag Fee Delayed
Legislation proposed by City Councilman Frank DiCicco and Jim Kenney to put a 25-cent fee on every plastic bag given to customers at stores in Philadelphia is being delayed during this morning's weekly Council session. It's clear that some Council members want changes to the legislation. DiCicco played off the delay with a joke in Council's caucus meeting.
Council Action On 25-Cent Plastic Bag Fee Delayed
Chris Brennan
Legislation proposed by City Councilman Frank DiCicco and Jim Kenney to put a 25-cent fee on every plastic bag given to customers at stores in Philadelphia is being delayed during this morning's weekly Council session. It's clear that some Council members want changes to the legislation. DiCicco played off the delay with a joke in Council's caucus meeting.
"I'm holding this because it's a rainy day and some people didn't bring an umbrella and need the plastic bags to hold over their heads," DiCicco quipped.
The legislation, designed to cut down on litter, requires businesses with more than $1 million in annual sales to give 75 percent of the bag fee to the city. Businesses with less revenue would keep the fee.
Comments (30)
Just another reason to shop out side the city, save on bags save 2 cents on tax. GOING TO DRIVE THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE CITY.— october9- This is good policy that has been successful in a lot of places. It's usually pretty easy to bring a bag. For times when it isn't, or you forget, a quarter is not going to kill you. But it gives people some motivation to do their bit. Everybody has seen discarded plastic bags swirling down the street. This law neatly addresses that problem. And the quarter goes to the shopkeeper who has to buy the bag, so it's business-friendly and fair. Get this done, Councilmen DiCicco and Kenney!— JohnI
- I was going to walk around the corner to the grocery store. But instead I drove to Croyden because hey, free bags. Is that how it is, Mr. Caps Lock?— JohnI
- I love that every time the City talks about instituting some kind of progressive policy (not as frequent an event as I'd like, but getting better), comment boards on the site are full of people with knee-jerk reactions about people either leaving or deciding not to come to teh city as a result (for examples, see any articles about recent changes in parking in Center City). What kind of city do we want to live in? One that's choked with cars and plastic bags, or a clean walkable city?— AMC4232
What is the problem with this act? Everyone complains about litter and this could definitely help curb it, whats not to love?- My kids don't have an extra quater to buy a friggin plastic bag.— Manny-Mann
- please people - you'd rather go to the burbs to shop than spring reusable bags? i understand the knee-jerk reaction to say to hell with the city for this tax, but why not take the enlightened approach and use this as an opportunity to buy reusable bags and help cut down on pollution.— philly57
- There is a supermarket that already charges for plastic bags. The main purpose of the policy is decrease the number of plastic bags being tossed in the trash. It's a real problem. Kids go to the store and buy a small bag of chips and they get a plastic bag. Both the chips and bag get tossed as litter. Stores in Philly will switch to paper bags.— Byron
- This is a joke. People are losing their jobs, and because of poor management in the city of Philadelphia, their answer is to charge for everything. Some people have shopping orders so big it would cost them $2 just to bring their bags home. The city needs to enforce no littering laws. Name one time anyone has seen someone fined for littering?— EC1981
- if this is going to raise money for the city why wasn't it included in the budget?— dreinterests
Comment removed.- We need to bring back a great cartoon from the early/mid 90's, this superhero taught that it was coll to stay in school, and save the environment- ahhh only if he were real....... "EARTH!" "FIRE!" "WIND!" "WATER!" "HEART!" "Go Planet!" "By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!" Captain Planet, he's our hero Gonna take pollution down to zero He's our powers magnified And he's fighting on the planet's side Captain Planet, he's our hero Gonna take pollution down to zero Gonna help him put asunder Bad guys who like to loot and plunder "You'll pay for this Captain Planet!" We're the Planeteers You can be one too 'Cause saving our planet is the thing to do! Looting and polluting is not the way Hear what Captain Planet has to say! "The Power is Yours!" Now go hug a tree you eco freaks, while I take my SUV to the north pole and suffocate polar bears and harbor seals with my plastic bags— Criz2020
- Rather than charge people a 25 cent fee for using paperbags, the city should provide some sort on incentive for companies to provide an alternative— K_Ball
- Rather than charge people a 25 cent fee for using paperbags, the city should provide some sort on incentive for companies to provide an alternative— K_Ball
- Hopefully it wont't rain after our sisters get their hair did. What is Chinatown going to do without plastic bags? lol— Dvs Mind
- Comment removed.
- I don't think charging 24 cents a bag is going to do anything. The problems are the slobs that live and work in the city. Today children aren't taught to put trash in cans, I see that in my own neighborhood. They get candy or whatever from the store and just let the trash fall to the ground including the plastic bag. Why should I be charged 25 cents because of others? I reuse my bags for my animal waste. I don't throw mine out. I even recycle the plastic bags from my newspaper and any plastic bags that are unusable for my animals. Alot of the grocery stores have the cans to recycle plastic bags. If they start charging for bags I will go to a supply store outside of the city to purchase the bags by the boxes. It will still be cheaper than what the city wants to charge.— Nascarfan
- JohnI - Exactly. I love the idea that people will drive miles and miles just to save a quarter on a bag, or to save a buck on parking (while spending $200 at a restaurant..)— Politburo
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- This is a great polciy. Businesses can not solve the problem becuase the problem is the people who litter and waste bags. If your kid can't afford a bag than don't get a bag or recycle a bag. EC1981 - Trying to enforce the law is a joke of an idea. So you want your tax dollars to pay a high salary to someone to enforce the law (and how many people are they really going to catch). One way or another your paying for it. It's better to have it as a tax that you can control by not using the bags.— Jimbo123
- Great policy. It raises money and discourages using plastic bags. If you don't like that it's a tax, fine. Let businesses start charging for them. They aren't free, after all.— philly transplant
- Lets put a tax on bullets before we put a tax on plastic bags....Speaking of taxing you liberal whack jobs and enviromentalist freaks are taxing my brain. I am going to fill my car with plastic bags in the back seat and drive through the city when I get home today. Besides, have any of you ever seen a bag float around in the wind- "it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen".— Criz2020
- Comment removed.
- Yeah, just fine everyone that litters $300 and that would solve the problem. I will never buy anything in a store that will charge me for a bag. These environmental freaks are totally out of control.— WWRD
- I got an idea! Enforce the littering laws! Idiots! I don't see trash blowing down my street! Have some pride!— hexyscores
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Go ahead and pass it just another stuiped law, I will not buy in philadelphia and pay the extra sales tax matter of fact just keep stuiped laws it makes the remaining Philadelphians tax payers move. the Cities new word is "Green" that does not stand for more money.— George Hanna
- Captain Planet? Love it!! This city needs to make an effort via public announcements with celebrities, politicans, etc. about not littering. Get in the schools and drill it into kids' heads about littering. Make it mandatory in schools to do xx hours of community service cleaning streets... the city needs to step up and lead here. And they are not.— Chr
1
Popular Posts
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners: