Faran Savitz
Zero Waste Advocate
Single-Use Plastic Laws in Pennsylvania
PennEnvironment's toolkit for passing bans and other laws tackling plastic pollution and litter in your municipality
A Path Forward to Move Beyond Plastic
Every year, Pennsylvanians use an estimated 4.75 billion single-use plastic bags. These bags are used for just a few minutes and then thrown “away”, but there is no “away”. Plastic bags and other single-use plastics end up in landfills, incinerators, or our environment, where they can last for hundreds of years, if not longer, harming wildlife, waterways, and our health.
Since 2018, PennEnvironment has helped more than two dozen Pennsylvania municipalities write, introduce, and pass legislation tackling single-use plastics. These ordinances—from cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to townships like Radnor and Easttown—impact over 2.4 million Pennsylvanians and could eliminate over 9 million pounds of plastic waste every year.
This toolkit provides a set of resources for local decision makers and activists to take action in their communities to rein in plastic pollution. It includes sample legislation, reports and research on various issues, and information on local legislation passed in municipalities across Pennsylvania.
For questions, more information, or if you’d like assistance on passing plastic legislation in your community, please contact zero waste advocate Faran Savitz at [email protected].
Tools for Tackling Single-Use Plastic
Map of Local Plastic Ordinances
This interactive map tracks the laws passed around Pennsylvania and shines a spotlight on the great steps taken by local leaders across the state to help rein in the pervasive threat of plastic pollution.
Single-use plastic items like plastic bags, polystyrene containers, plastic straws, and plastic utensils are made from fossil fuels, are difficult to recycle, and can persist in landfills and our environment for hundreds of years. Bans and other restrictions on single-use plastics are a proven, effective tool for tackling litter and plastic pollution.
Model Local Plastic Ordinances
A benefit of Pennsylvania lagging behind other states when it comes to tackling plastic pollution is that we can see what policies have worked and what haven’t. PennEnvironment has put together sample legislation using best policy practices to tackle single-use plastics. These models have been widely used in laws passed around Pennsylvania.
Model Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/resources/single-use-bag-ordinance/
Includes a ban on plastic bags of any thickness, coupled with a $0.15 fee on other bags provided by retailers like paper bags. A ban on plastic bags eliminates the worst environmental option, while the fee encourages shoppers to bring their own reusable bag from home.
Model Single-Use Plastic Ordinance: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/resources/pennenvironments-model-ordinance-for-single-use-plastics/
Includes a ban on plastic bags of any thickness, a $0.15 fee on other bags provided by retailers like paper bags, a ban on polystyrene foam containers like cups or takeout containers, and restrictions on plastic straws and utensils.
Sample Sign-On Letter to Build Business and Community Support
To show support for passing a plastic bag ban in your municipality, PennEnvironment drafted a letter that can be used to collect signatures from local small businesses and community organizations in favor of a plastic bag ordinance. This sample was used in the Pittsburgh Region to collect over 100 signatures.
Letter: https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Pittsburgh-Bag-Ban-Coalition-Letter.pdf
Sample Letter to the Editor
To help build visibility for local ordinances in the media, PennEnvironment has drafted a sample letter to the editor. It can be used to show support ahead of votes and educate the public, elected officials, and retailers. An example of a published version is below.
“Like many others, I love walking along the South Bethlehem Greenway, enjoying the nature and wildlife along the way. However, trash in the grass and trees takes away from the beauty of the walk, and more importantly, harms the animals living there. The main offender I see on the Greenway are single-use plastic bags. Plastic waste can choke or take away the homes of wildlife when it enters our environment. In our waterways and streams, plastic breaks into microplastics, hurting both wildlife and our health.
Luckily, we can help prevent more plastic waste from polluting our environment. Municipalities like Philadelphia, West Chester, West Goshen, and Narberth have already banned plastic bags, and Bethlehem can join them. With alternatives like reusable bags that won’t harm our environment or hurt our wildlife, this decision should be an easy one.
We use plastic bags for minutes, but they can pollute our environment for centuries. A bag-banned future means cleaner streets, healthier wildlife, and happier Mother Nature. I urge my local leaders to pass this legislation as soon as possible, so that we can provide a better future for ourselves, our wildlife, and our environment.”
Sample Petition Language
Demonstrating public support for a local ordinance is one of the most effective ways of ensuring the best policy gets passed. PennEnvironment has drafted the below petition that can be used to collect signatures in support of a local plastic bag ordinance.
Petition (italicized sections should be replaced with your specific information):
Dear Elected Official,
I’m writing to ask you to support Bill Number. This measure will reduce litter and single-use plastic pollution in Municipality by banning plastic bags and putting a fee on other bags given out at retail locations. Where implemented in cities like Chicago, Washington DC, or Philadelphia, bag bans have proved effective. Municipality residents deserve streets, parks, and streams free from plastic pollution and sewer drains that aren’t clogged up with plastic waste.
Help us tackle litter and address single-use plastic pollution in Municipality by supporting this environmental policy today.
Sample Letter Opposing Statewide Preemption of Local Plastic Laws
In December of 2021, the Pennsylvania General Assembly allowed the statewide preemption on local plastic pollution laws, the so-called “ban on bans”, to expire in the face of broad opposition from municipal leaders. PennEnvironment collected letters from concerned citizens and elected officials around Pennsylvania to show their support for local authority to tackle plastic pollution.
Report: Local Solutions to Local Pollution
The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center surveyed elected officials around Pennsylvania on their attitudes toward single-use plastics, restrictions on single-use plastics, and the State Legislature’s preemption law on local plastic ordinances.
See the results here: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/resources/local-solutions-to-local-pollution/
Report: Plastic Bag Bans Work
Frontier Group and the Environment America Research & Policy Center studied plastic bag bans at the state and local level around the country. The report found that plastic bag bans are effective tools for reducing litter and pollution. It provides a useful calculator to see the impact a bag ban can have on your community and outlines best practices for policy makers.
Report: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center/resources/plastic-bag-bans-work/
Statement: Study on Philadelphia's Plastic Bag Ban
In spring 2023, the City of Philadelphia released a study on the effectiveness of its ban on single-use plastic bags. The study showed that plastic bag bans can be incredibly effective at reducing the use of single-use plastics. However, it also showed the need for fees on other bags provided by stores, without one, paper bag use in the City soared.
The Study: https://www.phila.gov/media/20230426164234/PlasticBagBanReport-1.pdf
Report: Microplastic Pollution in Pennsylvania
In a first of its kind study on plastic pollution in Pennsylvania’s waterways, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center tested 53 rivers, lakes, and streams across the state for microplastic pollution. The testing found microplastics in every waterway sampled, from the Delaware River to Lake Erie and everywhere in-between. Plastic pollution is ever-present.
Report: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/resources/microplastics-in-pennsylvania/
Interactive Map with Findings: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1r9w9N-LxHTKDyC6ylsokRFVoYyQRyjpt&ll=40.967919884185%2C-77.24775922181652&z=7
Report: Pennsylvania's Pristine Waterways and Microplastics
As a follow-up to our 2021 study “Microplastics in Pennsylvania”, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center tested 50 of Pennsylvania cleanest and most-pristine rivers and streams for microplastic pollution. Microplastics were found in every waterway tested in this first study on Pennsylvania’s Exceptional Value, High Quality, and Class A Coldwater Trout waters.
Interactive Map with Findings: https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/resources/microplastics-found-in-pennsylvanias-cleanest-streams/
Report: Modernizing Recycling in Pennsylvania
The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) analyzed Pennsylvania’s cornerstone recycling law: Act 101. The report found several areas in which recycling and waste policies have fallen short and recommends solutions for tackling the waste crisis.
Explainer: Reducing Plastic Waste in the States
Our national network has won similar efforts to reduce waste and plastic pollution across the country, from statewide pro-recycling laws to the first statewide plastic bag ban in California. This resource tracks statewide policies tackling single-use plastics. Policies like bans on plastic bags work and are becoming more widespread with every passing year.
Explainer: https://environmentamerica.org/resources/reducing-plastic-waste-in-the-states/
Local Action in the News
Eliminating Single-Use Plastics Locally
The solution is simple: cut off the flow of plastics into our lives and into our environment. Bans and other restrictions on single-use plastics like bags, polystyrene containers, utensils, and straws have been an effective policy at reducing waste and litter for decades. Nine states have passed bans on single-use plastics, while hundreds, if not thousands, of cities and towns have done the same.
Since the first local ordinance to rein in plastic pollution in a Pennsylvania municipality was passed in 2018, many other localities have taken action too, including the two largest cities in the commonwealth: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. All told, twenty nine Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, and townships have passed bans and other restrictions on single-use plastics. These laws cover over 18% of Pennsylvania’s population, and could eliminate over 900 million single-use plastic bags every year, equivalent to over 4,900 tons of plastic waste. A full breakdown of local ordinances passed to-date, policy specifics, and their expected impact is below.
Municipal Ordinances Tackling Single-Use Plastics in PA
Model Single-Use Plastic Bag Ordinance
To better assist local leaders and activists in passing legislation tackling plastic pollution, PennEnvironment has developed a model ordinance based on best practices from around the country.
It’s a “ban-fee hybrid” model that eliminates all single-use plastic bags and places a $0.15 fee on all other bags provided by a retailer to encourage customers to bring their own reusable bag. This is the most effective way to not just reduce plastic pollution, but to reduce overall waste and litter.
The model can be viewed at: https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Model-Single-Use-Bag-Ordinance.pdf
Ambler Borough
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 13.69 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers
Cheltenham Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 75.34 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags
Doylestown Borough
County: Bucks
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 16.69 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags
Website: https://www.doylestownborough.net/pages/single-use-plastic-bag-ban/
Easttown Township
County: Chester
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 22.09 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags
Website: https://www.easttown.org/DocumentCenter/View/3273/No-450-22-Plastic-Bag-Ordinance
Edgewood Borough
County: Allegheny
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 6.33 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags
Website: http://edgewood.pgh.pa.us/Downloads/ordinances/Ord-1082-Plastic-Bag-Prohibition.pdf
Haverford Township
County: Delaware
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 101.45 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, straws available on request only
Website: https://ecode360.com/121638777
Lancaster Township
County: Lancaster
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 37.5 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags
Lower Merion Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 128 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags
Website: https://www.lowermerion.org/departments/sustainability/single-use-carry-out-plastic-bag-ordinance
Media Borough
County: Delaware
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 11.87 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, straws available on request
Website: https://www.mediaborough.com/eac/single-use-plastic-bag-and-straw-ordinance
Montgomery Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 52.03 tons per year
Policy Type: Ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, plastic straws available on request only
Website: https://www.montgomerytwp.org/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item&id=5835
Narberth Borough
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2018 (amended 2023)
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 9 tons per year
Policy Type: Ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, plastic straws available on request only, $0.10 fee on plastic utensils
Website: https://ecode360.com/34363740
Newtown Borough
County: Bucks
Year Passed: 2024
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 4.56 tons per year
Policy Type: Ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, plastic straws and utensils available on request only
Newtown Township
County: Bucks
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 40.02 tons per year
Policy Type: Ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, plastic straws and utensils available on request only
Website: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vA8gZEFdk5DKnRmjDUuB1lvNi3Uk9J7p/view
City of Philadelphia
County: Philadelphia
Year Passed: 2019
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 3,226.33 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags
City of Pittsburgh
County: Allegheny
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 609.48 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags
Phoenixville Borough
County: Chester
Year Passed: 2024
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 37.42 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on some plastic bags, ban on polystyrene containers, ban on plastic straws
Radnor Township
County: Delaware
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 66.84 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags
Website: https://www.radnor.com/Home/Components/News/News/1482/
Solebury Township
County: Bucks
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 17.52 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam food service containers
Springfield Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 41.87 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on paper bags, delivery exempted
Swarthmore Borough
County: Delaware
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 13.16 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam food service containers, ban on non-foam polystyrene containers (#6 plastics), plastic straws on request
Website: https://www.swarthmorepa.org/2282/Single-Use-Product-Regulations-Ordinance
Tredyffrin Township
County: Chester
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 64.22 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, ban on plastic straws
Website: https://www.tredyffrin.org/services/trash-recycling/plastic-bag-ordinance
Upper Dublin Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2024
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 53.64 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on paper bags
Website:
Upper Merion Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 67.62 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, ban on plastic utensils, plastic straws on request only
Website: https://www.umtownship.org/landing-page-environment/singe-use-plastics-ordinance/
Upper Moreland Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 52.54 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, plastic straws on request only
Uwchlan Township
County: Chester
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 38.54 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags, ban on polystyrene foam containers, ban on plastic straws
Website: https://www.uwchlan.com/DocumentCenter/View/957/Plastic-Bag-Ban-Ordinance?bidId=
West Chester Borough
County: Chester
Year Passed: 2019
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 37.56 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on thin plastic bags, $0.10 fee on other bags, ban on plastic straws
West Goshen Township
County: Chester
Year Passed: 2021
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 46.35 tons per year
Policy Type: ban on plastic bags, ban on plastic straws
Website: https://www.westgoshen.org/350/Plastic-Bag-and-Plastic-Straw-Regulation
West Norriton Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2022
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 32.59 tons per year
Policy Type: Ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags
Website: https://www.westnorritontwp.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/2609?fileID=1481
Whitemarsh Township
County: Montgomery
Year Passed: 2023
Potential Plastic Eliminated: 39.64 tons per year
Policy Type: Ban on plastic bags, $0.15 fee on other bags, plastic straws and utensils available on request only
Website: https://www.whitemarshtwp.org/591/Single-Use-Plastic-Bag-Information
Protect our rivers and streams from plastic pollution
We found microplastics in 50 of Pennsylvania's cleanest rivers and streams. It's time to stop throwing away tons of foam cups, plastic bags and other plastic "stuff" we can easily live without.
Topics
Authors
Faran Savitz
Zero Waste Advocate
Find Out More
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Letter in Support of Electronic Waste Recycling
Testimony in Support of HB 1607: Expanding E-Waste Recycling in Pennsylvania
