Phoenix, AZ Single-Use Items: Plastic Bag Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Local Ordinance
- None. Arizona preempts
- Preemption Statute
- A.R.S. § 9-500.38 (2015)
- Scope
- Bags, boxes, cups, bottles: all auxiliary containers
- Enforcement Tool
- A.R.S. § 41-194.01 (SB 1487) state-shared-revenue withholding
- Voluntary Program
- Bag Central Station retailer film drop-offs
Summary
Phoenix cannot enforce a plastic bag ban or fee. A.R.S. § 9-500.38 declares 'the regulation of the sale, use and disposition of auxiliary containers' a matter of statewide concern and bars cities from imposing taxes, fees, or regulations on these items. Phoenix participates in the voluntary Bag Central Station retailer take-back program.
A. A city or town may not:
1. Impose a tax, fee, assessment, charge or return deposit on a consumer or an owner, operator or tenant of a business, commercial building or multifamily housing property for auxiliary containers.
2. Regulate the sale, use or disposition of auxiliary containers by an owner, operator or tenant of a business, commercial building or multifamily housing property.
B. The regulation of the sale, use and disposition of auxiliary containers is a matter of statewide concern. The regulation of the sale, use or disposition of auxiliary containers by an owner, operator or tenant of a business, commercial building or multifamily housing property pursuant to this section is not subject to further regulation by a city or town.
C. This section does not prevent a city or town from continuing a voluntary recycling and waste reduction program as authorized by section 9-500.07 or ensuring that discarded auxiliary containers defined as solid waste pursuant to section 49-701.01 are disposed of properly.
D. For the purposes of this section, "auxiliary container" includes reusable bags, disposable bags, boxes, beverage cans, bottles, cups and containers that are made out of cloth, plastic, extruded polystyrene, glass, aluminum, cardboard or other similar materials and that are used for transporting merchandise or food to or from a business or multifamily housing property. Auxiliary container does not include a stationary receptacle intended solely for use by the public for voluntary donation of goods and materials intended for subsequent reuse, sale or recycling.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
B. 1241) after Tempe, Bisbee, and Flagstaff began considering bag ordinances. ' 'Auxiliary container' is defined to include bags, boxes, cups, bottles, and similar packaging, disposable or reusable, made of cloth, paper, plastic, expanded polystyrene, cardboard, aluminum, or glass. 38; the city eventually repealed it after the Arizona Attorney General threatened action under SB 1487 (which withholds state shared revenue from cities defying state law). Phoenix has never enacted a bag ordinance and instead participates in Bag Central Station, the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance program operating since 2007 that places plastic-film drop-off bins at major grocers (Fry's, Safeway, Albertsons, Walmart).
Phoenix's Office of Sustainability targets zero waste by 2050 through the Phoenix Reimagine Phoenix Initiative, the Zero Waste Plan, and the City's Climate Action Plan, all voluntary.
Violations & Fines
No bag-specific city violations exist. Phoenix can enforce general litter under Phoenix City Code § 23-31 and Arizona's general illegal-dumping statute (A.R.S. § 13-1603) but cannot fine bag distribution. Under A.R.S. § 41-194.01 (SB 1487), if Phoenix were to enact a bag ordinance, any state legislator could request the Attorney General to investigate, and the AG could withhold up to 100% of state shared revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Phoenix have a plastic bag ban?
What happened to other Arizona cities' bag bans?
Where can I recycle plastic bags in Phoenix?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
Compare Phoenix to another location·View the Arizona single-use items overview
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Plastic Bag Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle plastic bag rules.