Half of Philly businesses aren’t complying with plastic bag laws, report says

Plastic bags have been banned in Philadelphia since 2021, but almost a quarter of businesses are not complying, according to a new report from PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center.

PennEnvironment staff visited more than 80 businesses to investigate whether they are adhering to the plastic bag ban, which was passed by City Council in 2019. The nonprofit found that 20% of the stores offered plastic bags to customers. 

More than half of the businesses did not comply with a new law that requires them to charge customers 10 cents for paper or reusable bags, according to the report. 

The requirement, enacted in January, aims to encourage people to bring their own reusable bags. Stores offering takeout and delivery are exempt from charging the fee, but cannot provide plastic bags. 

Plastic’s environmental impact

Plastic bags often end up in landfills and incinerators and can break down into tiny microplastics, polluting the environment.

“If we’re bringing a reasonable option every time we go to the store, if we are using fewer single-use bags, not switching one-to-one from plastic to paper, then we’re going to have less waste going to our landfills, our incinerators, we’ll see less waste ending up on our streets, less litter, and hopefully a cleaner, greener Philadelphia,” said Faran Savitz, zero waste advocate with the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. 

Savitz said some of the businesses surveyed did not know about the requirements. 

In a statement, Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections said enforcing the bag fee falls outside the jurisdiction of its inspectors, who are required to witness bags being distributed in order to issue a violation. 

The department operates on a complaints-based basis, and its top priority is to address public health and safety issues, said spokesperson Kandyce Stukes. 

“When entering a property, they are looking for immediate life safety concerns. Their second concern is to support our commercial districts, not stifle their ability to operate,” she said in an email. 

The plastic bag ban has significantly reduced waste, according to the city. The number of non-compliance reports L&I receives has dropped from more than 200 in 2022, to 33 so far in 2026. The department also provides educational materials about plastic bags to businesses in the city, Stukes said. 

“The Plastic Bag Ban has served to move this city in the right direction in its dedication to being cleaner and greener,” she said. 

PennEnvironment is calling for greater enforcement and education. The nonprofit and L&I encourage residents to report plastic bag violations to 311 or through the City’s online complaint portal.