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October 29, 2018

Philly Suburb Becomes First Pa. Town To Strictly Regulate Plastic Bags & Straws

The ban could set a precedent for more sweeping regulations on plastic disposables throughout the Commonwealth. That could potentially benefit the promo industry.

By  Christopher Ruvo

A Philadelphia suburb has become the first municipality in Pennsylvania to enact strict regulations on single-use plastic bags and plastic straws. The development in Narberth, and others like it occurring across the nation, matters to the promotional products industry. Such regulations can stimulate sales of logoed items that include branded tote bags and reusable straws.

A heavily Democrat-leaning town on Philadelphia’s Main Line, Narberth’s Borough Council voted unanimously on Oct. 17 to adopt an ordinance that places a 10-cent fee on plastic shopping bags. The local law additionally bans the distribution of plastic drinking straws, unless a disabled customer specifically asks for one. "The plastic pollution problem is becoming a reality all over the place. It's becoming a serious, serious problem for our town, for our world, for our kids, and it was time to step up and be the change we are looking for," Narberth Mayor Andrea Deutsch told the local ABC affiliate.

The victory for the ordinance could trigger similar restrictions and bans in other Pennsylvania towns – or even throughout the Commonwealth. For instance, Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach and State Representative Mary Jo Daley say they are introducing legislation that would impose state-wide regulations on plastic straws.

Narberth’s decision drew praise from residents and environmentalists.

Not everyone likes the ban, though. Phil Rozenski, the senior director of sustainability at Novolex, a plastics manufacturer that operates a retail bag plant in Pennsylvania, said bans like this will ultimately result in lost jobs. “You tax something enough, and it will go away," he told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "The unintended consequences are much greater. Here in Pennsylvania, it will impact jobs." Rozenski added: "A much more appropriate approach to this issue is addressing the larger problem, which is how consumers are handling waste in general." He further opined that the focus should be on proper disposal of waste and recycling of plastics.

Some critics reacted with cheek.

Even prior to the official ban in Narberth, local girl scouts had set up reusable shopping bag kiosks downtown, encouraging consumers to forego plastic bags. Businesses in Narberth are jumping on the green initiative, too. The local Great American Pub, for instance, was stocking up on bamboo straws. It’s evidence of the kind of shift in business/consumer behavior that plastic bans could accelerate – all of which could help distributors sell more logoed reusables as regulations like this proliferate around the U.S.

And proliferate they might.

California, Hawaii, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. already have similar laws on the books. And now, New Jersey is considering a ban that might be the most stringent of its kind. In September, a legislator in the Garden State introduced a bill that would ban plastic carryout bags, expanded polystyrene, and single-use plastic straws. Violators of the proposed law would get slapped with a $5,000 fine. The bill followed fast on the heels of a rigid ban on certain single-use products within the small New Jersey city of Lambertville. In mid-September, Lambertville passed an ordinance that bans businesses within its borders from providing customers with any single-use plastic carryout bags, Styrofoam and polystyrene foam containers, and/or plastic straws. 

In Lambertville, the exception to the ban is that businesses can provide plastic straws at a patron’s request, but not otherwise. As an alternative to plastic bags, the ordinance indicates that businesses/stores can make available to customers recyclable paper carryout bags or reusable bags.