Environmental advisory committee presents plastic-bag and straw ordinance; council asks solicitor to review

The Environmental Advisory Committee presented a proposed ordinance to curb single-use plastic bags and restrict loose plastic straws, urging the council to advance the measure after a legal review. Mary Martin, an EAC member, said the draft aims to change resident and business behavior and "less is better than more, so it's a starting point," framing the ordinance as a first step toward the borough's sustainability goals.

The proposal would require retailers and restaurants to stop providing single-use plastic checkout bags and instead offer recyclable paper bags or sell reusable bags. The EAC recommended a six-month lead time and a nominal fee, recommending "a 10-cent fee for anyone who wants to use a recycled paper bag," with the business keeping the proceeds to offset bag costs. The EAC said many neighboring municipalities in Southeastern Pennsylvania have adopted similar approaches and that some large retailers already operate under comparable policies.

EAC members described limited local survey outreach: of roughly 100 businesses contacted, 56 were surveyed and six responses were received; in-person visits supplemented the mail survey. The presenters said most in-person contacts were neutral or supportive and noted that supermarkets such as Giant have prepared for similar rules in other jurisdictions.

On exemptions, the EAC proposed allowing donated or reused bags provided by nonprofits to be used without fee, and suggested potential exemptions for participants in hardship programs. Takeout and delivery were explicitly exempted so customers receiving prepared food would not incur a bag fee unless a business voluntarily chose to charge.

The proposal would also limit restaurants' routine provision of plastic straws by permitting only compostable or paper straws except when a customer requests a plastic straw for a specific need.

Council members and staff focused much of the discussion on enforcement. Chief Scott raised practical concerns about implementation and asked who would handle enforcement and prosecutions; councilors pressed whether penalties would be civil or criminal. EAC presenters said the draft uses civil nuisance penalties and favored a staged, education-first approach: written warnings followed by incremental fines. President Connors said the solicitor should vet the ordinance and enforcement language before any referral to full Council.

Council did not vote on adoption. Instead, members asked solicitor Patrick to review the draft for legal compliance and to advise on enforcement workflows and possible appeal procedures. The EAC will supply supporting materials and data to the solicitor and to council when requested.

Next steps: solicitor review and an additional report back to committee or full Council; no ordinance adoption or final vote occurred at the workshop.