It is no doubt that plastics have become a staple of our lives: grocery bags, bottles, and takeout boxes. In fact, over 400 million tons of plastics are produced worldwide annually, significantly larger than the weight of the total human population (Ritchie, Samborska, Roser 2023). However, strict bans and penalties must be put into effect to regulate the number of plastics that are produced. Decreasing the availability of plastics while encouraging more environmentally friendly alternatives can lead to healthier results for both the people and the environment. Currently, roughly 98% of the world’s single-use plastics are manufactured using oil and gas (Dell 2023). These fossil fuels used to produce plastics generate about 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gas emission, or 3.4% of the world’s emissions (Meech, Singh 2025).
Philadelphia is no stranger to plastics and the pollution from the heavy amount of production. As the sixth most populous city in the United States, it uses over a billion single-use plastic bags annually (Maratha 2022). This mountain of plastic bags, if lined up end to end, can circumnavigate the globe more than seven times. Philadelphia is a city wrapped in plastics. Single-use bags are caught on trees, water bottles scattered along the streets, plastic cups spilled onto the sidewalks. As a city known for its “brotherly love,” does Philadelphia love plastics more?
The plastic problem in Philadelphia
Philadelphia generates a tremendous number of plastics every year, from common plastic bags to Chinese takeout boxes. Many single-use plastics are mismanaged and not recycled or landfilled, which can have a damaging effect on the city’s health. The city must take actions to prevent these plastics from scattering and ending up in areas they’re not supposed to be. When severe rain pours upon the city, the undisposed plastics can be easily swept to nearby drains and sewers, clogging them and preventing rainwater from draining, leading to floods that damage properties and block streets.
The city is also home to one of the largest production of plastics in Pennsylvania and its surrounding areas. Plastics, when manufactured, require a hefty amount of toxic chemicals and fossil fuels. These pollutants are released into the air, becoming disruptions in the climate and contributing to some of the harshest weather the city has seen. According to Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez, “Plastics are made of the combination of thousands of chemicals. These plastics threaten the health of the ecosystem and the people.”
The emissions from the intensive production have brought aggressive and volatile weather to the city, including unending rains and storms. Recently in April, the city took in more rainfalls in two weeks than the previous months of fall combined, along with unusually cool temperatures (Wood 2025). The strange shift in the city’s weather and climate raises concerns among officials to combat the growing production and usage of plastics.
In recent years, Philadelphia has enforced many prohibitions to plastic bags, including banning single-use bags across all grocery stores and replacing them with environmentally-friendly paper bags. The Mayor’s Office reported that after implementing a city-wide ban on plastic bags, the percentage of consumers who use at least a plastic bag when shopping dropped from 64% to only 4% (Kane 2024). Researchers announced over 200 million single-use plastic bags had their distribution halted, further highlighting the success of the policies.
What more can be done?
Though laws have been imposed to reduce the use of plastic bags, the effort may remain fruitless if attention isn’t given to other major plastic uses. These include plastic bottles, food wrappers, straws, all of which are also huge contributors to the overall plastic consumption in Philadelphia. Even with the plastic bag ban, the city will continue to see massive consumption of plastics if other major contributors are ignored.
The most effective way of reducing plastic consumption behaviors is to implement a fee or a disincentive that discourage plastic usages. Philadelphia hosts many stores along its streets and alleys, and a majority use hundreds of pounds of plastic on the daily basis. To reduce the issue, restaurants or shops may incur a fee if they use plastic products, thus encouraging them to switch to alternate, more environmentally-friendly products like paper straws and paper wraps. This is a powerful change that can regulate the use of plastics, including both the suppliers and consumers.
When regulations are enforced, such as banning plastic bags, these actions send a signal to reduce plastic production. Through these small steps, Philadelphia can achieve near-zero plastic usage, eliminating most productions, and aid in preventing carbon emissions from such production from damaging our climate.
Interview
For further research, I interviewed my science teacher Ms. Butler, who is a former chemistry and AP Environmental Science teacher, and who has worked with students to promote awareness and conduct environmental activities.
Q: What do you think are some misconceptions about plastic waste in Philly?
A: “A lot of people will see the ‘recycle’ symbol and believe the plastics will be handled by the curbside service. But the misconception is that certain items, like plastic bags, are not picked up because they can jam the machine.”
Q: How strict has Philly’s government enforced these policies?
A: “Right now, only single-use plastic bags are banned completely. There are exemptions made for other plastic bags, such as bags intended for multiple uses, prescription bags, and so much more. So, yes, plastic bags are still out there.”
This article was written as part of the PUBPOL111 course Communicating Climate Solutions: Writing for Impact taught by Professor Jennifer Turner.
