Localmedium impact · 5/10substantive090075

Philadelphia Council Proposes Green Fee on Disposable Shopping Bags to Cut Waste and Promote Reusables

Official:Amending Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Service and Other Businesses," by adding a new Section 9-614, entitled "Advanced Recovery Fee (Green Fee) for disposable shopping bags," to establish an advanced recovery fee (a green fee) for disposable shopping bags, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember DiCicco

Introduced: February 5, 2009

: Committee on the Environment

business environment public health

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2008–2011 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill proposes to charge a fee on disposable shopping bags to encourage reusable bag use and reduce waste.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Imposes a fee on disposable shopping bags, to be known as the "Green Fee" or "Advanced Recovery Fee".
The fee is intended to encourage the use of reusable bags and reduce waste.
The fee will be imposed on disposable shopping bags, but it is unclear who will be responsible for collecting the fee (e.g. retailers, customers).
The bill amends Chapter 9-600 of The Philadelphia Code to add a new section, 9-614, to establish the Green Fee.