Friends Supports Chicago Bag Tax Increase

Friends of the Chicago River knows that a cleaner, healthier river system starts long before trash reaches the water. That’s why we support Chicago’s recent increase to the checkout bag fee, from 10 cents to 15 cents, which took effect January 1.

Plastic pollution remains one of the most persistent threats to the Chicago-Calumet River system. In fact, 85% of the litter found in our river system is plastic. Lightweight checkout bags are easily carried by wind and stormwater from streets and sidewalks into storm drains, streams, and rivers, where they break down into microplastics and harm wildlife and water quality. Increasing the bag fee is a proven way to reduce unnecessary plastic use at the source, keeping this material out of the river system altogether.

Supporting policies like the bag tax aligns directly with one of Friends’ signature initiatives: a Litter Free Chicago-Calumet River. One of the most effective ways to achieve this vision is to reduce the waste stream itself. When fewer disposable bags are produced, distributed, and discarded, there is less trash available to become litter, and ultimately less pollution reaching the river system.

Our Litter Free Chicago-Calumet River initiative takes a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to tackling trash. We work with community and government leaders to advance strong public policy, conduct litter research to better understand what’s entering the river system, and engage residents and businesses in hands-on cleanup efforts across the watershed. Together, these strategies address litter at every stage, from prevention to removal.

The increased bag fee is a small change at the checkout counter that can make a big difference for the river system. By choosing reusable bags and supporting smart, effective policies, Chicagoans can help protect the Chicago-Calumet River system for all people, water, and wildlife.