LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — Single-use plastic bags could go the way of the dodo in Lower Merion Township, should a newly proposed ordinance be adopted.

The township's Sustainability Committee earlier this month announced a proposal to no longer allow retail establishments to provide patrons with single-use plastic bags.

An outright ban on single use carry-out plastic bags would be in place if the ordinance is adopted.

According to township officials, township residents use an estimated 23 million bags per year. Officials said this requires the same amount of petroleum as driving roughly 1.6 million miles and generating approximately 126 tons of waste.

A survey conducted by the Lower Merion Conservancy regarding plastic bags showed 96.7 percent of the 629 respondents support "efforts to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags."

"Plastic bags clog sewage and storm drains and break down into toxic microplastics that pollute our oceans and hang out in landfills for up to one thousand years," according to the conservancy. "Successful ordinances have reduced plastic bags in storm drains by up to 89 percent, in rivers by 60 percent, and in residential areas by 59 percent."

Additionally, the proposal would levy fees for providing bags made from alternative materials, such as paper.

Customers would eat a 10-cent charge to be given bags in compliance with the ordinance.

This fee is included partly to encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags to businesses.

Places that offer compliant bags can keep the 10-cent fee to help them cover the cost of providing compliant bags.

Establishments that violate the ordinance would first be warned, then issued $100, $200, and $500 fines on the subsequent violations.

The proposal does allow for exceptions, however.

Should it be adopted, the ban would be in effect six months after the ordinance is adopted.

Thirty days after the effective date of the ordinance and for six months thereafter, establishments would be required to post signage informing consumers about the ban and fee.

See the full proposed ordinance here.

Fourteen other Pennsylvania municipalities have adopted similar ordinances.

Haverford Township's ban went into effect in early January.

Tredyffrin Township's ban will begin in March.

Philadelphia banned single-use bags about a year ago.

Lower Merion joined several other municipalities in a lawsuit back in 2021 alleging a state measure limiting plastic bag bans was unconstitutional.

However, the preemption prohibiting local regulation of the bags no longer exists after the 2021-22 Pennsylvania budget bill passed without extending the preemption.

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