Categories: Philly

Plastic Bag Ban Banned: Pro-Plastic Philadelphia & ShopRite Protests?

City Council voted against the plastic bag ban the Committee on the Environment passed last week. According to Philly.com, Councilman Frank DiCicco’s bill was rejected by Council this morning in a 6-10 vote.

Word is that protesters such as ShopRite and the plastics industry lobbied against the bill, causing its demise. Opponents to the bill claimed that banning plastic bags would force many stores to use paper, which “has an even greater environmental impact.” (this is debatable, but the eco-friendliest option is to BYO(re-usable)B.)

Mayor Nutter better get cracking on this if he wants Philadelphia to be an environmental pioneer – Other cities are ahead of us with similar bans.

Ironically, today is also Mark Alan’s Hughes last day as Director of Sustainability.

Posted by Julie

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia.