Philadelphia Code section 9-209 bans single-use plastic carryout bags and thin paper bags at all retailers. Pennsylvania Act 12 had imposed a state preemption window blocking enforcement, but the moratorium lapsed in 2021, allowing full Philadelphia rollout.
Philadelphia Code section 9-209, the Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance, bars supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores, food trucks, restaurants, and other retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags or paper bags lighter than required minimum standards. Retailers may sell reusable bags or paper bags meeting the post-consumer recycled-content threshold. Pennsylvania Act 12 of 2020 imposed a year-long preemption pause on local bag bans, which expired in 2021 and let Philadelphia begin enforcement that October. Produce bags, dry-cleaning bags, prescription bags, and bulk bags are exempt. Streets Department and Department of Public Health inspectors enforce, beginning with warnings and escalating to civil penalties.
Distributing banned plastic carryout bags violates Philadelphia Code section 9-209, triggering written warnings, then administrative fines from one hundred fifty up to three hundred dollars per day per location.
Philadelphia, PA
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Philadelphia, PA
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See how Philadelphia's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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