Localmedium impact · 6/10substantive250768

No Burning Trash in Philly Contracts

Official:Amending Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Contracts and Procurement,” to prohibit contractors providing solid waste, recycling or composting services to the City from incinerating discarded matter, under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Gauthier

Introduced: September 18, 2025

: Committee on the Environment

environment public health

Plain-Language Summary

This bill would prevent contractors who work with the City to collect trash and recycling from burning it in an incinerator.

What This Bill Does

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Prohibit contractors who provide solid waste, recycling, or composting services to the City from incinerating discarded matter.
Apply this prohibition to all contracts with the City, under the terms and conditions of Title 17 of The Philadelphia Code.
Impose a new requirement on contractors providing these services to the City, requiring them to find alternative methods for managing waste.
This requirement would only apply to contractors who have a contract with the City, and would not impact non-City entities or private companies that do not provide services to the City.

Both Sides

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

The case for

This bill ensures that the City's contractors do not burn waste, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that harm local residents and the environment. As a result, the City's air quality improves, and nearby communities are protected from negative health impacts. The bill benefits the City's residents by promoting a cleaner, healthier environment, and also aligns with the City's own climate goals.

The case against

This bill would impose significant costs on the City's contractors, who would be forced to invest in new infrastructure and methods to manage waste, with no guarantee of cost recovery. This burden would likely be passed on to taxpayers, as the City would have to negotiate higher contract prices to cover the costs, or absorb the losses itself. By restricting the disposal methods of only City-contracted companies, Bill 250768 sets a precedent for the City to dictate business practices to private entities, potentially limiting competition and innovation in the waste management industry.

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