Signs for establishments with food and drinks:

• Full page sign
• Half page sign (2 per sheet)
• Quarter page sign (4 per sheet)

Signs for establishments without food and drinks:

• Full page sign
• Half page sign (2 per sheet) 
• Quarter page sign (4 per sheet)

• February 13, 2025: Board of Commissioners Meeting
  • Agenda
  • Video
• January 9, 2025: Board of Commissioners Meeting
  • Agenda 
  • Video
• October 10, 2024: Board of Commissioners Working Session
  • Agenda
  • Video
• October 23, 2023: Administrative Public Meeting
  • Video

If you have any questions, please contact the Code Enforcement Office at 267-536-1000, prompt 4, or codeenforcement@abingtonpa.gov.

1. Reduces the use of single-use plastics and EPS foam products by commercial establishments within Abington Township.
2. Curb litter on the streets, in the parks, and in the trees, protect the local streams, rivers, waterways and other aquatic environments, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce solid waste generation, promote and facilitate the use of reusable, compostable, and recyclable materials, and to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic values of Abington Township.
3. Relieves the pressure on recyclers who cite single-use plastic bags as a major source of contamination and inefficiency within the recycling stream.
4. Relieves the pressure for landfills to manage the disposition of single-use products.

Any store or retail establishment that sells, rents, or provides perishable or nonperishable goods, including, but not limited to, clothing, food, and personal items, directly to the customer and is located within or doing business within the geographical limits of Abington Township. Commercial establishments include: a business establishment that generates a sales or use tax; a drugstore, pharmacy, supermarket, grocery store, farmers market, convenience food store, food mart, or other commercial entity engaged in the retail sale of a limited line of goods that include, but are not limited to, milk, bread, soda and snack foods; a public eating establishment (i.e. a restaurant, take-out food establishment, or any other business that prepares and sells prepared food to be eaten on or off its premises); and a business establishment that sells clothing, hardware, or any other nonperishable goods. 

The following items are prohibited:

1. Single-use plastic bags
2. Single-use plastic splash stick
3. Single-use plastic stirrers
4. Single-use plastic straws without request by customer
5. Expanded polystyrene foam products such as food containers, plates, hot and cold beverage cups, trays, and clamshell-style packaging

Compliant bags include:

1. A paper bag that meets all the following minimum requirements:
   • (1) contains no old growth fiber;
   • (2) contains a minimum of 40% post-consumer recycled material; and
   • (3) is 100% recyclable.
2. A reusable bag that is a carryout bag that is designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and is
   • (1) made of cloth or other machine-washable fabric that has stitched handles; or
   • (2) a polypropylene bag that is woven or non-woven and fused fabric with a minimum 80 gram/square meter density that has stitched, and not heat-fused handles.

Customers may use bags of any type that they bring to the commercial establishment themselves for the purpose of carrying goods or other materials away from the point-of-sale.

The use of an exempted bag is not a violation of this ordinance. An exempted bag is a bag that is used inside a Commercial Establishment by a Customer to deliver perishable items to (or from) the point-of-sale at that establishment (checkout) and includes: 

1. a product bag (a very thin bag used exclusively to carry meats or vegetables, fruit, etc.);
2. a laundry or dry-cleaner bag;
3. a newspaper bag;
4. a bag used to contain live animals, such as fish or insects, sold in a pet store;
5. a prescription drug bag
6. a bag sold in packages containing multiple bags intended for use as food storage bags, garbage bags, or pet waste bags;
7. any plastic bag distributed by the state or federal government

The following EPS foam products are prohibited:

1. Food containers
2. Plates
3. Hot and cold beverage cups
4. Trays
5. Clamshell-style packaging

Compliant Straws and Stirrers 

A compliant straw is certified as compostable by the Biodegradeable Products Institute. 

A compliant stirrer is made entirely of wood, grass or certified as compostable by the Biodegradeable Products Institute. 

Non-Compliant Straws and Stirrers

Single-use plastic straws shall not include:

1. Straws packaged with beverages prepared and packaged outside of the Township, provided such beverages are not altered, packaged, or repackaged within the Township.
2. Straws provided as an assistance device to reasonably accommodate a disability.

A single-use beverage stirrer or single-use beverage splash stick, or any other device intended to stir liquid or keep heat and liquid from escaping a lidded cup, provided by a Commercial Establishment that is primarily made of plastic. 

The Township Manager or their designee may, upon written request of a commercial establishment, exempt a commercial establishment from the requirements of this Chapter for a period of not more than one (1) year from the effective date of this Ordinance upon a finding by the Township Manager or their designee that the requirements of this Chapter would cause undue hardship to the commercial establishment. An "undue hardship" shall be found only if the commercial establishment demonstrates that it has a unique circumstance or situation such that there are no reasonable alternatives to the use of single­use plastics and/or EPS foam products or compliance with the requirements of this section would deprive a commercial establishment of a legally protected right. 

Click here to complete the exemption request form. 

1. The Township Manager or their designee has the responsibility for enforcement of this Chapter and may promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to enforce the provisions thereof, including, but not limited to, investigating violations and issuing fines.
2. Any commercial establishment that violates or fails to comply with any of the requirements of this Chapter shall first be issued an initial written warning notice that a violation has occurred. If any additional or subsequent violation occurs, and the commercial establishment has previously been issued an initial written warning notice, then the commercial establishment shall be liable for a violation.
3. Any commercial establishment that receives an initial written warning notice may file a request for an exemption pursuant to the procedure in §9 above.
4. If a commercial establishment has subsequent violations of this Chapter after the issuance of an initial written warning notice of violation, the following penalties shall be imposed and shall be payable by the operator of the commercial establishment:
   1. A fine not exceeding $100.00 for the first violation following the initial written warning notice;
   2. A fine not exceeding $200.00 for the second violation in the same year dating from the first violation;
   3. A fine not exceeding $500.00 for the third and each subsequent violation in the same year dating from the first violation.
5. For the purposes of this section, a new twelve-month period will begin on the anniversary of the initial written warning notice.
6. In addition to the penalties set forth in this Chapter, the Township may seek legal, injunctive, or other relief in equity or in law to enforce this Chapter or abate a violation of this Chapter. Such proceedings may be initiated before any court of competent jurisdiction. The expense of such proceedings shall be recoverable from the violator in any manner as may now or hereafter be provided by law.
7. The failure of the Township to enforce any provision of this ordinance shall not constitute a waiver by the Township of its rights to future enforcement hereunder.

After August 12, 2025, non-compliant establishments can be reported online via our Citizen Service Request Tool under Code Enforcement at www.abingtonpa.gov/servicerequest. 

No later than April 7, 2025, and for six months thereafter, commercial establishments are required to post at all points-of-sale conspicuous signage. The signage must inform customers that single-use plastics and EPS foam products will no longer be provided by the establishment as of the date the prohibition begins, its impact, and types of bags that can be used.

Please see resource section above for downloadable signs.