01-04-2025
Plastic bag tax could start in Richmond in January
Richmond City Council is considering enacting a 5-cent tax on most single-use plastic bags, The Richmonder reports.
Why it matters: The tax could go into effect as soon as January.
State of play: The city has been mulling the tax since 2020, when a state law passed giving Virginia localities the right to do so, Tara Worden with Richmond's Office of Sustainability told The Richmonder.
The goal would be to discourage the use of the bags, which not only harm the environment but can clog city sewer drains and lead to street flooding.
If adopted, Richmond would be the 11th Virginia locality to add the tax, joining Arlington, Fairfax, Roanoke and Charlottesville.
The tax would only apply to the disposable bags commonly used by grocery stores and pharmacies, not sturdier ones designed for reuse.
Those thin meat and produce bags would also be excluded.
How it works: Retailers would be responsible for self-reporting the bag use and paying the state, which would send the revenue to the city.
Richmond would get the bulk of the revenue (3 cents the first year, 4 cents thereafter), with the rest going to the retailer.
Estimates indicate the bag tax would bring in about $371,000 a year and cost locals about $2.12. State law requires that money be used toward environmental programs or supplying lower-income Richmonders with reusable bags.
Between the lines: Some city councilors expressed general support of the tax, but were skeptical about the city's ability to administer the program, given its recent issues with other self-reported taxes, like the meals tax.
