Single-Use Plastics
Plastics are synthetic (artificial) or semisynthetic materials, made from large-molecule compounds called polymers, that can be molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure. [1]
The first plastic was invented in the 1860s by American industrialist John Wesley Hyatt as a substitute for ivory, the natural supply of which (from elephant tusks) was dwindling due to irresponsible hunting and the dramatic rise in the popularity of billiards; billiard and pool balls were then routinely made of ivory. According to the Science History Institute, Hyatt “treat[ed] cellulose derived from cotton fiber with camphor,” meaning that plastic initially used natural material as a jumping-off point. Later patented as Celluloid, the plastic proved a poor fit for billiard balls but worked well for dominoes and checkers playing pieces. [2][3]
The institute notes that the invention of plastic was revolutionary: “For the first time, human manufacturing was not constrained by the limits of nature. Nature only supplied so much wood, metal, stone, bone, tusk, and horn. But now humans could create new materials. This development helped not only people but also the environment. Advertisements praised celluloid as the savior of the elephant and the tortoise. Plastics could protect the natural world from the destructive forces of human need.” Furthermore, “the creation of new materials also helped free people from the social and economic constraints imposed by the scarcity of natural resources. Inexpensive celluloid made material wealth more widespread and obtainable.” [2]
Plastics went completely synthetic (artificial) with the invention of Bakelite by American chemist Leo Baekeland in 1907. American plastics manufacturing then surged 300 percent during World War II, thanks to inventions to aid the war effort. Nylon was invented by American chemist Wallace Hume Carothers and colleagues in 1935 as a silk replacement for parachutes, and Plexiglas (also called Lucite) was invented by German chemist Otto Röhm as a glass substitute for airplane windows. Following the war, plastics offered everyday people “an almost utopian vision of a future with abundant material wealth, thanks to an inexpensive, safe, sanitary substance that could be shaped by humans to their every whim.” [2][4]
Plastic’s reputation took a hit in the 1960s when plastic debris was first observed collecting in the ocean, whereupon the word “plastic” became synonymous with “fake” and “cheap.” The new environmental and ecology movements also took note of plastic’s inability to biodegrade (decompose). But despite these concerns, the consumer market for single-use plastics skyrocketed in the 1970s. Plastic jugs, for example, replaced the once omnipresent glass milk bottle. [2]
In light of growing environmental concerns, the plastics industry proposed widespread recycling programs. Americans had a history of recycling, mainly out of necessity. Clothes with holes were not discarded but mended and reused, and the ”rag-and-bone man” (who collected waste paper, old rags, bones, and scrap metal to sell to wealthy factory-owners) was a fixture in Western societies in the 19th century. During World War I and II, recycling was critical for the manufacturing of the war materiel needed for victory, and governments instituted extensive PR campaigns to spur a habit of reuse. The new recycling movement of the 1970s built on this tradition, as cities and states instituted the now popular curbside recycling programs. [5][6]
Images of the mounting garbage at municipal landfills, and reports of garbage coming together in the oceans and harming and killing sea animals, further popularized the need for recycling. In 1997, while returning home after the Los Angeles-to-Hawaii Transpacific sailing race, Captain Charles Moore sailed through the North Pacific Ocean, where he found himself awash in a sea of plastic refuse. Returning the next year, Moore found the mass of plastic had grown. Dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” it is now comparable to the size of Texas and is just one of five areas of plastic accumulation in the oceans. Their unceasing growth highlights the environmental problem with plastics. [2][7]
However, consumer appetite for plastics has only increased in the 21st century. Since the 1950s over nine billion metric tons of plastic have been produced globally, with more than half manufactured after 2000. [8]
Approximately 50 percent of plastic waste is single-use plastic. Single-use plastics “are goods that are made primarily from fossil fuel-based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of right after use—often in mere minutes. Single-use plastics are most commonly used for packaging and service ware, such as bags, bottles, wrappers, and straws,” explains journalist Courtney Lindwall. [8]
Unlike more permanent plastic items, such as PVC pipes used for plumbing and electrical wiring, most single-use plastics cannot be reused without potentially damaging consequences. While it’s possible to reuse a single-use plastic grocery bag a few times, “experts say to take caution when it comes to plastic bottles or food containers … [because] all plastics used in food containers and plastic bottles could release harmful chemicals if used repeatedly,” reports journalist Stephanie Vermillion. Even “those [single-use items] said to be free of bisphenol A [BPA]—a controversial chemical that’s been linked to hormonal disruptions”—could be problematic. [9]
The myriad problems with and conveniences of plastic are well established, so the question remains how to balance the one with the other. Some jurisdictions have dealt with this problem by outright banning single-use plastics. In the United States, San Francisco was the first city to ban plastic bags, and many cities and a few states followed the trend. Plastic straws have been banned in cities in some 15 states and Washington, D.C. Other plastic bans are popping up across the country—hotels in California and New York state, for example, are banned from providing tiny plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and body wash. [10][11][12][13][14]
While no federal ban exists in the United States, the Department of the Interior began phasing out all single-use plastics in national parks and some public lands. Additionally, the Biden administration released “the first comprehensive, government-wide strategy to target plastic pollution at production, processing, use, and disposal.” Called “Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities,” its goal was “to phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.”[10][40]
On February 7, 2025, President Donald Trump seemed ready to roll back at least some of the phase-out, posting on Truth Social: “I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work. BACK TO PLASTIC!” On February 10, Trump signed the executive order “Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws,” which ordered federal agencies to phase-out use of paper straws. [41][97]
Internationally, China banned single-use plastic straws in restaurants and single-use plastic bags in major cities; the European Union banned most single-use plastics as of July 1, 2021; and several other countries have implemented or are considering such bans. [15][16]
So, are single-use plastic bans the most effective way to reduce plastic consumption and pollution?
Pros and Cons at a Glance
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Pro 1: Single-use plastic bans combat destructive convenience culture. Read More. | Con 1: Single-use plastic serves a range of important uses. Read More. |
| Pro 2: Single-use plastic bans work and generate greater awareness about the dangers of all plastics. Read More. | Con 2: Single-use plastic bans spawn complacency and merely mask the greater need—a reduction in all plastic production. Read More. |
| Pro 3: Bans are required because plastic recycling is a myth. Read More. | Con 3: Bans wrongly punish consumers, whereas producers and recyclers are the problem. Read More. |
Pro Arguments
(Go to Con Arguments)Pro 1: Single-use plastic bans combat destructive convenience culture.
“Our brains favor habits because they conserve energy. So if we are going against the current—a BYO [bring-your-own] straw for example—it’s hard for most people to do so unless highly motivated,” says climate psychology educator and consultant Leslie Davenport. Single-use plastic bans force people to snap out of convenience culture and find better alternatives. [17]
Single-use plastic products promote a culture of convenience wherein cutlery doesn’t need to be washed; no one has to remember to take a bag to the grocery store; you can buy two aspirin in a plastic packet instead of a whole bottle; and food that nature has already “single-use wrapped,” like apples and oranges, is swathed in plastic anyway.
“The worst thing about any single-use item is that we devalue something to the point that we intend to throw it away. The convenience culture has normalized this destructive behavior and as a result, we produce millions of tons of it every single year. If we change our mindset on what we consume, we will be more aware of the single-use plastic we use and how we can avoid it,” argues Megean Weldon of Zero Waste Nerd. [9]
Furthermore, every single-use plastic item has an alternative made of a multi-use material: cotton shopping bags, glass food containers, bamboo cutlery, and metal straws are just a start. Plus, the non-disposable items serve us better. Reusable cups keep liquids hotter or colder longer, for example. And all reusable options are less expensive for the life of the product, use fewer energy resources to make and clean, and have a much lower chance of leaching toxic chemicals. [18][19][20]
“I would not recommend plastic, period,” says R. Thomas Zoeller, professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. [20]
Pro 2: Single-use plastic bans work and generate greater awareness about the dangers of all plastics.
A January 2024 study that examined single-use plastic bag “bans in five states and cities that cover more than 12 million people combined” found those bans to “have cut single-use plastic bag consumption by about 6 billion bags per year. That’s enough bags to circle the earth 42 times.” Similar bans, suggests the study, could reduce single-use plastic bag usage by about 300 plastic bags per person per year on average. [21]
“The bottom line is that plastic bag bans work. Millions … have realized that it’s easy to live without plastic bags and get used to bringing a bag from home or skipping a bag when they can. That means less waste and less litter. For our children to inherit a less polluted earth, that’s exactly what we need,” says Faran Savitz of the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. [22]
Bans on single-use plastic bags reduce waste, litter, and pollution, and encourage sustainable alternatives. The logic follows that bans on other single-use products would be as successful. [23]
In fact, bans on plastic straws have also been wildly successful. Journalist Harvin Bhathal explains, “Plastic straw bans are alive and well today, with new proposals still cropping up at the state and city levels. But eliminating plastic straws is no longer the go-to goal of the anti-plastic movement. Part of that is the result of the existing bans’ success: For many consumers, the absence of plastic straws has become normal, even mundane.” [17]
Additionally, there is now a health concern due to our over-reliance on plastics, single-use and otherwise. A study published in Nature Medicine on February 3, 2025, found about seven grams of microplastics and nanoplastics—which are tiny, sometimes microscopic, pieces of plastic that are the result of larger pieces of plastic breaking down—in the brains of human cadavers. For a visual reference, about the same amount of plastic is used to make one of the single-use spoons frequently found with take-out and delivery food orders. The study found a possible correlation between high levels of microplastics in the brain and dementia. Another study found that higher levels of microplastics in the arteries raised the risks of heart attack, stroke, and death. “I have yet to encounter a single human being who says, ‘There’s a bunch of plastic in my brain and I’m totally cool with that,’ ” said researcher Matthew Campen.[98]
Single-use plastic bans, argue advocates, are not meant to solve the world’s plastic problems in one broad stroke. Instead, as Sophie Lewis of Seaside Sustainability notes, the bans are “certainly a start to reducing the amount of future pollution. It is important for people to start to drop their plastic habit, which means decreasing the amount of it in circulation.” [24]
Pro 3: Bans are required because plastic recycling is a myth.
As a 2022 NPR headline declares, “Recycling plastic is practically impossible—and the problem is getting worse.” [25][27]
Only 5–6 percent of plastic is actually being recycled into new products in the United States, according to Greenpeace. In fact, “no type of single-use plastic food service item (such as those used at fast food restaurants) can legally be claimed as recyclable” in the United States, including clamshell food containers, cutlery, bags, cups, and straws, according to the 2022 U.S. MRF (Material Recovery Facilities) Survey. [25][26]
The Center for Climate Integrity calls plastic recycling a “fraud” and explains that part of the problem is that plastic, unlike glass or cardboard, is not a single material but is composed of many related polymers that also sometimes include metal, paper, colorants, and other materials. The materials cannot be recycled together and cannot be separated for individual recycling, a catch-22 that lands some 95 percent of plastic in landfills and the ocean, among other inappropriate places for waste. [27]
“Politically it’s easier to just say ‘Gosh, we’re going to take everything and we think we can get it recycled,’ and then look the other way” while the plastic goes to the landfill, “That’s greenwashing [making a product, policy, or activity appear more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is] at its best,” says Trent Carpenter, general manager of Southern Oregon Sanitation. [25]
Leslie Davenport, a climate psychology educator, explains that consumers buy into greenwashing unconsciously, because “there can be an unexamined story of ‘I’m doing my part’ because it is more soothing than feeling out of control with the harmful and terrifying trajectory we are on with climate change.” [17]
At this point, virtually all claims of plastic recyclability are egregiously false. Greenpeace urges “instead of continuing on this false path, companies in the U.S. and around the world must urgently phase out single-use plastics by replacing their packaging with reuse and refill systems and offering packaging free products.” Bans can assist in this effort. [26]
Con Arguments
(Go to Pro Arguments)Con 1: Single-use plastic serves a range of important uses.
From aiding people with disabilities to keeping food fresh, from reducing transportation emissions to aiding in medical treatment, single-use plastics are much more than “convenient.”
People with disabilities rely on single-use plastics for a variety of reasons. Many cannot lift a cup to their mouth and must rely upon a straw that they cannot easily wash; many cannot manage food preparation and need sliced fruit in a plastic container. Alternatives to single-use plastic can be prohibitively expensive and difficult to maintain for those with disabilities. [28]
Why can’t food be packaged in something other than plastic? The simple answer is that plastic keeps food fresh. Emmerson Packaging cites several studies showing that “cucumbers wrapped in plastic last 14 days longer than unwrapped cucumbers; bananas wrapped in plastic last 21 days longer than their unwrapped counterparts; beef wrapped in plastic vacuum packaging with an oxygen barrier film lasts 26 days longer; [and] selling grapes in plastic bags or trays has reduced in-store wastage of grapes by 20 percent.” Keeping food fresh longer not only reduces food waste but also increases the accessibility of healthful foods to “food deserts.” [29]
Fresh food like produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to grocery store. Plastic packaging ensures the food is not damaged during transport and reduces transportation emissions, because it’s lighter than alternatives. [30][31][32][33]
Additionally, we rarely think beyond food in terms of single-use plastics. However, single-use plastics are crucial in the medical field, from PPE (masks and surgical gowns) to syringes and blood-transfer bags. Single-use plastics keep patients and providers safe by providing them with tools and drugs that are sterile. We can’t ban all single-use plastic without providing accessible, appropriate, and safe alternatives. [34]
Con 2: Single-use plastic bans spawn complacency and merely mask the greater need—a reduction in all plastic production.
The problem is not consumer use of single-use plastic, but the enormous production of all plastic. Single-use plastic bans mask this larger issue, which poses problems for both our environment and our health.
Even with every mitigating policy on the consumer side—bans, recycling, and others—“we would still release more than 17 million tons of plastic per year into nature,” according to Melanie Bergmann, a plastic pollution and microplastic expert at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. Bergmann says, “The science is crystal clear. Only upstream measures such as a cap on plastic production will prevent further degradation of our life-supporting ecosystems and allow us at the same time to reduce the carbon footprint of plastics, which makes up 4.5 percent of the global CO₂ emissions.” [35]
In perspective, CO₂ emissions from plastic production are expected to outpace the poster child of climate pollution—coal—by 2030. Thus, dealing with single-use plastic waste is only a bandage on the larger problem of plastic production. [35]
While a world without any plastic is farfetched, “it is crucial that the production of new plastics is reduced and refined. The types of plastics currently being produced are incredibly complex, and often not used in an easily recyclable form. The world urgently needs to reduce the types of plastic from the thousands currently available to perhaps 10–20 key polymer types which can be easily identified, sorted and recycled,” according to British think-tank Chatham House. [36]
The recent discovery of plastic in our brains, and the possible health implications from this development—perhaps contributing to dementia and higher risks of heart attack, stroke, and death—merely accentuates the greater need for rethinking our entire association with plastic. Single-issue bans spawn complacency and discourage the public from dealing with this larger issue.[98]
The United States alone throws out 42 million metric tons of plastic. The solution is to stop producing new plastic. Policies such as requiring all plastic to be 50 percent recycled rather than 100 percent “virgin” plastic, and requiring environmental impact reviews for production expansion, will go much farther than consumer bans, which distract from the larger, critical problem at hand. [37]
Con 3: Bans wrongly punish consumers, whereas producers and recyclers are the problem.
Society has been led to believe that if plastic products are used and disposed of appropriately, they will be recycled. Why punish consumers who have followed directions? The plastics industry and recycling companies need to step up their game and deliver what they promised by both manufacturing recyclable plastics and actually recycling them.
“Plastic is a victim of its own success: cheap, light and flexible. It’s so cheap that many of us don’t question using it once and throwing it away. It’s so useful that we find it everywhere. While plastic waste is a pressing problem, its properties mean that it still has an important part to play, particularly in transporting food. So before we give up on plastic, perhaps we should think about how to use, and reuse, it better,” says journalist Axelle Parriaux. [31]
The idea that recycling is a subcategory of “sustainable polymer engineering” has emerged, moving responsibility from consumers, 94 percent of whom support recycling, to manufacturers. [38][39]
Sustainable polymer engineering “includes the development of biodegradable and natural-sourced polymers; the development of refined separation and recycling techniques, including machine-learning enabled recognition and separation of components; and the development of ‘chemical breakdown and re-use’ strategies,” according to American Recycler. [38]
Michael Bockstaller, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, explains that the idea of “chemical breakdown and re-use” is to reverse-engineer polymers, to revert the polymer back into its monomer form,” which allows different plastics and other components to be separated. Bockstaller’s researchers are also looking into “polymers that can ‘heal’ themselves. The idea is to design materials that can recover their structure and properties after damage events—thus reducing the amount of material that is discarded due to malfunction.” [38]
Science is ready and capable of developing not only new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle existing plastics but also innovative ways to produce plastic that is both more durable and more easily recycled.
U.S. Single-Use Plastic Bans
As of March 2025, 19 states and territories have jurisdiction-wide bans on one or more single-use plastics. And, while 17 states do not have state-wide bans, the states do allow local governments to regulate single-use plastics as they see fit. However, 19 states have taken the opposite approach and have preemptively banned the possibility of bans, meaning the state has overruled authority at lower levels and not only does not have a state-wide ban on plastics does not allow local governments to set bans or make their own plastic regulations.
| State or territory | Jurisdiction-wide plastic bans | No state-wide plastic bans or preemptive state bans (local governments may have bans) | Preemptive state bans (no state-wide ban and no local bans allowed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [42] | ||
| Alaska | Alaska does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [43] | ||
| American Samoa | As of February 23, 2011, stores may not provide single-use plastic bags. [44] | ||
| Arizona | In 2015, Arizona banned local regulation of single-use containers. [45] | ||
| Arkansas | In 2021, Arkansas banned local regulation of single-use containers. [46] | ||
| California | As of January 1, 2026, stores may not provide plastic bags at checkout, including thicker, allegedly reusable plastic bags. This is an update to the original 2014 law. California also bans stores and restaurants from providing single-use straws and utensils unless they are requested by the customer. Furthermore, California is requiring that all manufacturers ensure single-use packaging and service ware (straws, etc) are recyclable or compostable by 2032. [47][48] | ||
| Colorado | Large businesses are banned from providing single-use plastic bags as of 2024. [49] | ||
| Connecticut | Stores are banned from providing single-use plastic bags as of 2019. [50] | ||
| Delaware | Stores are banned from providing single-use plastic bags as of 2021. [51] | ||
| District of Columbia | D.C. implemented a five cent fee for both plastic and paper bags at stores and restaurants in 2010. Disposable polystyrene food containers were banned in 2016, with an update in 2021 to ban foam storage containers (such as ice chests) and Styrofoam packing peanuts. In 2019, DC banned stores and restaurants from providing single-use straws and stirrers. In 2022, DC banned stores and restaurants from providing single-use utensils, napkins, and condiment packets unless they are requested by the customer. These items can be kept behind the counter or in a customer self-service area. [52][53][54][55] | ||
| Florida | In 2008, Florida banned local regulation of single-use containers until such time as the state had performed a review. A report was submitted to the state in 2010. However, the state renewed the law in 2024, asking for an updated report. [56][57][58] | ||
| Georgia | Georgia does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [59] | ||
| Guam | As of January 1, 2021, stores may not provide single-use plastic bags. [60] | ||
| Hawaii | Hawaii was the first state to ban plastic bags in 2012. The state also banned "wraps and liners, plates, food boats, pizza boxes, and firefighting foams that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in certain circumstances" in 2022. [61][62] | ||
| Idaho | In 2016, Idaho banned local regulation of single-use containers. [63] | ||
| Illinois | Illinois has a statewide ban on small, single-use plastic bottles filled with personal care products (such as shampoo) in hotels with 50 or more rooms as of 2024. [64] | ||
| Indiana | In 2016, Indiana banned local regulation of single-use containers. [65] | ||
| Iowa | In 2017, Iowa banned local regulation of single-use containers. [66] | ||
| Kansas | Kansas does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. In 2024, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would have banned local plastic bans. [67] | ||
| Kentucky | Kentucky does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [68] | ||
| Louisiana | Louisiana does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Maine | Maine banned single-use plastic bags in 2021. [70] | ||
| Maryland | Maryland does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Michigan | In 2016, Michigan banned local regulation of single-use containers. [71] | ||
| Minnesota | In 2017, Minnesota banned local regulation of single-use containers. [72] | ||
| Mississippi | In 2017, Mississippi banned local regulation of single-use containers. [73] | ||
| Missouri | In 2015, Missouri banned local regulation of single-use containers. [74] | ||
| Montana | In 2021, Montana banned local regulation of single-use containers. [75] | ||
| Nebraska | Nebraska does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Nevada | Nevada does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| New Jersey | As of 2022, grocery stores (2,500 square feet and larger), restaurants, convenience stores, and pharmacies may not provide single use plastic or paper bags. Grocery stores are also banned from providing paper bags. As of 2024, restaurants may not serve food in polystyrene containers and polystyrene containers are no longer available for sale to consumers in New Jersey. [76] | ||
| New Mexico | New Mexico does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| New York | Single-use plastic bags were banned in 2020, as were polystyrene packing peanuts. Restaurants may not provide single-use straws (as of 2021) or plastic utensils, napkins, extra containers, and more (2024), except upon request by the customer. New York also has statewide ban on small, single-use plastic bottles filled with personal care products (such as shampoo) in hotels with 50 or more rooms as of 2025. Hotels with fewer than 50 rooms will have to comply by January 1, 2026. [77] | ||
| North Carolina | In 2023, North Carolina banned local regulation of single-use containers. [78] | ||
| North Dakota | In 2019, North Dakota banned local regulation of single-use containers. | ||
| Northern Mariana Islands | Reports indicate that single-use plastic bags are banned in the CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), however those reports seem based on bills introduced rather than passed into law. | ||
| Ohio | In 2019, Ohio banned local regulation of single-use containers for one year. In June 2021, the ban on bans was permanently extended. [79][80] | ||
| Oklahoma | In 2019, Oklahoma banned local regulation of single-use containers. [81] | ||
| Oregon | Single-use plastic bags were banned in 2020. Polystyrene food containers were banned in 2025. [82][83] | ||
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Puerto Rico | Plastic bags were first banned via a 2015 executive order issued by Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla. Legislation was passed in 2024 to ban all single-use plastic products in commercial businesses as of July 1, 2024. [84][85] | ||
| Rhode Island | Single-use plastic bans were banned in 2022. [86] | ||
| South Carolina | South Carolina does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| South Dakota | In 2020, South Dakota banned local regulation of single-use containers. [87] | ||
| Tennessee | In 2019, Tennessee banned local regulation of single-use containers. [88] | ||
| Texas | A June 22, 2018, Texas Supreme Court ruling struck down a 2014 Laredo plastic bag ban, stating the ban conflicted with Texas’s Solid Waste Disposal Act. The court ruling preempted bans in Austin and Sunset Valley among others. [89] | ||
| U.S. Virgin Islands | As of 2017, stores may not provide single-use plastic bags to customers. In 2019, the law was expanded to include plastic straws, tubular stirrers, and non-recyclable paper bags. [90][91] | ||
| Utah | Utah does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Vermont | As of July 2020, stores may not provide plastic bags or stirrers, or polystyrene cups or food containers. Plastic straws may only be provided upon customer request. [92] | ||
| Virginia | Food may not be served in a single-use expanded polystyrene food service container as of July 1, 2023. [93] | ||
| Washington | As of October 2021, stores may not provide single-use plastic bags. Polystyrene packing peanuts are banned as of June 2023 and polystyrene coolers and food service containers are banned as of June 2024. [94][95] | ||
| West Virginia | West Virginia does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
| Wisconsin | In 2016, Wisconsin banned local regulation of single-use containers. [96] | ||
| Wyoming | Wyoming does not have a statewide plastic ban or preemptive ban. [69] | ||
Discussion Questions
- Should single-use plastics be banned? All single-use plastics? Or should bans target certain items, like shopping bags? Explain your answer.
- Consider all of the single-use plastics you use in a day. Could any of these items be replaced by multiuse items? Should you replace any, or is the single-use plastic item the best option? Explain your answer.
- What other policies could reduce plastic pollution?
Take Action
- Explore the cons of single-use plastic with the NRDC.
- Learn how plastics are made with Britannica Kids.
- Consider the argument that plastics help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position.
- Push for the position and policies you support by writing U.S. senators and representatives.
Sources
- Ferdinand Rodriguez, “Plastic” (April 30, 2024), britannica.com
- Science History Institute, “History and Future of Plastics” (accessed June 13, 2024), sciencehistory.org
- The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, “John Wesley Hyatt” (May 9, 2024), britannica.com
- Plexiglas, “Otto Röhm: Inventor and Entrepreneur” (accessed June 13, 2024), plexiglas.de
- Sheila Mulrooney Eldred, “When Did Americans Start Recycling?” (April 22, 2024), history.com
- Pantheon Enterprises, “The Story Behind ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ ” (accessed June 18, 2024), pantheonchemical.com
- Kate Biberdorf and Suzanne Hogan, “The Man Who Discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Still Trying to Stop Ocean Pollution” (May 3, 2023), kcur.org
- Courtney Lindwall, “Single-Use Plastics 101” (April 30, 2024), nrdc.org
- Stephanie Vermillion, “What Are Single-Use Plastics and Should They Be Banned?” (April 16, 2024), science.howstuffworks.com
- Seaside Sustainability, “The U.S. Progress with Single-Use Plastic Bans” (accessed July 3, 2024), seasidesustainability.org
- Aardvark Straws, “Plastic Straw Bans” (accessed July 3, 2024), aardvarkstraws.com
- Sarah Gibbens, “See the Complicated Landscape of Plastic Bans in the U.S.” (August 15, 2019), nationalgeographic.com
- Lacey Pfalz, “New York Bans Single-Use Plastic Personal Care Products in Hotels” (July 11, 2024), travelpulse.com
- Associated Press, “California Bans Hotels from Using Tiny Plastic Bottles” (October 10, 2019), nbcnews.com
- European Commission, “EU Restrictions on Certain Single-Use Plastics” (accessed July 3, 2024), environment.ec.europa.eu
- U.S. Library of Congress, “China: Single-Use Plastic Straw and Bag Ban Takes Effect” (May 23, 2021), loc.gov
- Harvin Bhathal, “Did Plastic Straw Bans Work? Yes, but Not in the Way You’d Think.” (August 10, 2023), route-fifty.com
- River Cleanup, “No More Single-Use: 10 Tips for at Home or at Work” (accessed June 18, 2024), rivercleanup.org
- Thermtest, “Will a Drink Stay Colder for Longer in a Container Made of Plastic or Metal?” (July 19, 2021), thermtest.com
- Nicolás Rivero, “What’s the Best Reusable Water Bottle Material: Glass, Metal or Plastic?” (January 13, 2024), washingtonpost.com
- Celeste Meiffren-Swango, Jenn Engstrom, and Louis Sokolow, “Plastic Bag Bans Work” (January 17, 2024), environmentamerica.org
- PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, “New Report: Analysis Finds Bag Bans Effective at Reducing Plastic Waste, Litter” (January 18, 2024), environmentamerica.org
- Louis Sokolow, Celeste Meiffren-Swango, and Jenn Engstrom, “Plastic Bag Bans Work” (January 2024), publicinterestnetwork.org
- Sophie Lewis, “Why Plastic Bag Bans Work” (accessed June 18, 2024), seasidesustainability.org
- Laura Sullivan, “Recycling Plastic Is Practically Impossible—and the Problem Is Getting Worse” (October 24, 2022), npr.org
- Greenpeace, “Circular Claims Fall Flat Again” (October 2022), greenpeace.org
- David Allen et al., “The Fraud of Plastic Recycling” (February 2024), climateintegrity.org
- Erin Vallely, “Grasping at Straws: The Ableism of the Straw Ban” (accessed June 20, 2024), cdrnys.org
- Emmerson Packaging, “Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic: What’s More Sustainable?” (accessed June 20, 2024), emmersonpackaging.com
- Holly Hill, “Food Miles: Background and Marketing” (2008), attra.ncat.org
- Axelle Parriaux, “Do Single-Use Plastic Bans Work?” (July 12, 2022), bbc.com
- America’s Plastic Makers and American Chemistry Council, “Plastic Helps Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions” (accessed June 20, 2024), plasticmakers.org
- iGPS, “Sustainable Food Transportation: Reduce Emissions with Lighter and Fewer Shipments” (July 23, 2020), igps.net
- Andrea Hecker, “Benefits and Drawbacks of Single-Use Healthcare Packaging” (November 21, 2023), oliverhcp.com
- Mongabay, “To Stop Plastic Pollution, We Must Stop Plastic Production, Scientists Say” (April 28, 2022), mongabay.com
- Chatham House, “A Future Without Plastic?” (August 26, 2022), chathamhouse.org
- Joseph Winters, “Beyond Reusing and Recycling: How the U.S. Could Actually Reduce Plastic Production” (December 13, 2021), grist.org
- American Recycler, “Plastics Recycling Faces Change and Innovation” (accessed June 20, 2024), americanrecycler.co
- Dave Thomas, Dustin Lattimer, and Nexstar Media Wire, “New Survey Discovers Why Most People Don’t Recycle” (December 11. 2022), wate.com
- White House, “Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Releases New Strategy to Tackle Plastic Pollution, Takes Action to Reduce Single-Use Plastics in Federal Operations” (July 19, 2024), whitehouse.gov
- Donald J. Trump, (February 7, 2025), truthsocial.com
- Sophia Waterfield, "Alabama Senate Pushes Legislation to Stop Plastic Bag Bans" (April 10, 2019), newsweek.com
- Alaska Division of Environmental Health Solid Waste Program, "Plastic Bag Bans" (accessed March 26, 2025), dec.alaska.gov
- Associated Press, "American Samoa Approves Ban on Plastic Bags" (September 1, 2010), nbcnews.com
- Matthew Hendley, "Bag Bans Outlawed in Arizona," phoenixnewtimes.com, April 14, 2015
- Kathryn Gilker, "New Arkansas Law Disallows Cities from Banning Use of Styrofoam & Plastic Bags" (April 26, 2021), 5newsonline.com
- Soumya Karlamangla, "California Bans All Plastic Bags After Its First Effort Backfired" (September 23, 2024), nytimes.com
- CalRecycle, "SB 54 Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act Permanent Regulations" (accessed March 26, 2025), calrecycle.ca.gov
- Paolo Zialcita, "Colorado’s Plastic Bag Ban Is in Full Effect, but Enforcement Is Inconsistent" (January 18, 2024), cpr.org
- Connecticut House Democrats, "Full Ban on Single-use Plastic Bags Begins" (July 13, 2021), housedems.ct.gov
- Delaware, "Stores Are Banned from Providing Single-Use Plastic Bags" (accessed March 26, 2025), dnrec.delaware.gov
- D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment, "Skip the Bag, Save the River" (accessed March 26, 2025), doee.dc.gov
- D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment, "Foam Free DC" (accessed March 26, 2025), doee.dc.gov
- D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment, "District Disposable Food Service Ware Requirements Frequently Asked Questions" (accessed March 26, 2025), doee.dc.gov
- D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment, "Reducing Food Service Waste" (accessed March 26, 2025), doee.dc.gov
- Bruce Ritchie, "Florida Bill Blocking Local Plastic, Foam Container Bans Backed in First House Stop" (March 12, 2025), eenews.net
- Florida Senate, "403.7033 Departmental Analysis of Particular Recyclable Materials" (2011), flsenate.gov
- Florida Senate, "Title XXIX Public Health; Chapter 403 Environmental Control; Section 7033 Departmental Analysis of Particular Recyclable Materials." (accessed March 26, 2025), flsenate.gov
- Sundi Rose, "Will Georgia Ban Plastic Bags in Stores? A New Law May Change the Way Consumers Shop" (March 13, 2025), ledger-enquirer.com
- Meghan Swartz, "Recycling Advocates: Plastic Bag Ban Marks Progress" (June 18, 2018), postguam.com
- Surfrider Foundation, "Hawaii Becomes the First State in the U.S. to Ban Plastic Bags!" (May 14, 2012), surfrider.org
- Hawai’i State Legislature, "HB1644 HD1 SD1 CD1" (2022), capitol.hawaii.gov
- Packaging Law, "States Move to Enact Laws to Prevent Local Plastic Bag Bans and Taxes" (June 20, 2016), packaginglaw.com
- Illinois Environmental Council, "Illinois First Great Lakes State to Reduce Single-use Plastic Bottles in Hotels" (August 12, 2024), ilenviro.org
- Sarah Bowman, "Scrub Hub: Why Can’t We Ban Plastic Bags in Indiana?" (January 11, 2022), indystar.com
- Lee Rood, "Iowa the Latest State to Outlaw Plastic Bag Bans" (April 11, 2017), desmoinesregister.com
- Jack Harvel, "Kansas Governor Vetoes Law That Would Undo Lawrence’s Plastic Bag Ban. What to Know." (April 19, 2024), cjonline.com
- Ryan Van Velzer, "Kentucky Bill Would Ban Plastic Bag, Styrofoam Containers" (January 5, 2020), lpm.org
- Good Start Packaging, "Food Packaging Legislation" (accessed March 26, 2025), goodstartpackaging.com
- Maine Department of Environmental Protection, "Statewide Ban on Single-use Plastic Bags Goes Into Effecy July 1, 2021" (June 18, 2021) maine.gov
- Kelly House, "Democrats Seek to Reverse Michigan’s Ban-on-Bans of Plastic Bags" (September 28, 2023), bridgemi.com
- Clean Water Action, " Ending Minnesota’s Plastic Bag Ban Preemption: A Case for Local Control" (accessed March 27, 2025), cleanwater.org
- Jimmie E. Gates, "New Law Will Prohibit Local Government From Banning Plastic Bags or Other Type Containers" (March 20, 2018) clarionledger.com
- Ray Howze, "Legislature Says Missouri Cities Can’t Ban Plastic Bags or Set ’Living Wage’" (May 6, 2015), stlpr.org
- Blair Miller, "Supreme Court Deals Blow to Bozeman’s Single-use Plastics Initiative Approved in November" (December 20, 2024), dailymontanan.com
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, "Get Past Plastic" (accessed March 27, 2025), dep.nj.gov
- Plastic Pollution Coalition, "New York’s Action--and Attitudes--to Address Plastic Pollution" (July 11, 2024), plasticpollutioncoalition.com
- Mary Helen Moore, "Asheville Was Debating Plastic Bag Ban, Durham a 10-cent Fee. Then the State Stepped In." (September 25, 2023), newsobserver.com
- Ohio Environmental Council, "The Ohio Environmental Council, Surfrider Foundation, and Sierra Club Support Local Authority to Regulate Single Use Plastic Bags in Ohio," theoec.org, May 8, 2024
- City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability, "Plastic Bag FAQ" (February 15, 2023), cincinnati-oh.gov
- Environment America, "Oklahoma’s New “Ban on Bans” Hinders Efforts to Solve Plastic Pollution" (April 25, 2019), environmentamerica.org
- State of Oregon, "Single-use Bag Ban" (accessed March 31, 2025), oregon.gov
- Katie Pyzyk, "Oregon Gov. Kotek Signs Foam Ban, Allows Customers’ Reusable Containers at Restaurants" (May 9, 2023), packagingdive.com
- Danica Coto, "Puerto Rico to Ban Use of Plastic Bags Through Executive Order After Legislators Opposed Bill" (October 30, 2015), usnews.com
- McConnell Valdés LLC, "Puerto Rico Bans Single-Plastic Use in Commercial Establishments" (July 15, 2024), mcvpr.com
- State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, "DEM Reminds Public that Plastic Waste Reduction Act Regulations Go Into Effect in the New Year" (December 14, 2023), dem.ri.gov
- South Dakota Legislature, "2020 South Dakota Legislature Senate Bill 54 Enrolled" (accessed March 31, 2025), sdlegislature.gov
- State of Tennessee, " Public Chapter No. 158" (April 12, 2019), publications.tnsosfiles.com
- Ballotpedia, "Plastic Bag Preemption Conflicts Between State and Local Governments" (March 14, 2022), ballotpedia.org
- Recycling Today Staff, "U.S. Virgin Islands Bans Plastic Bags" (October 10, 2016), recyclingtoday.com
- Justia U.S. Law, "2019 U.S. Virgin Islands Code Title 29 - Public Planning and Development Chapter 8 - Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Subchapter II - Regulation of Plastic Bags § 500u. Ban on Plastic Checkout Bags and Non-recyclable Paper Bags" (accessed March 31, 2025), law.justia.com
- Laura Parker, "Vermont Adopts the Most Comprehensive Plastics Ban in U.S." (June 18, 2019), nationalgeographic.com
- Virginia’s Legislative Information System, "HB 1902 Expanded Polystyrene Food Service Containers; Prohibition, Civil Penalty." (accessed March 31, 2025), legacylis.virginia.gov
- State of Washington Department of Ecology, "Washington’s Single-use Plastic Bag Ban" (accessed March 31, 2025), ecology.wa.gov
- State of Washington Department of Ecology, "Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Ban" (accessed March 31, 2025), ecology.wa.gov
- Wisconsin State Legislature, "2015 Wisconsin Act 302" (March 31, 2016), docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- White House, “Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws,” whitehouse.gov, February 10, 2025
- Sarah Kuta, “The Human Brain May Contain as Much as a Spoon’s Worth of Microplastics, New Research Suggests” smithsonianmag.com, Feb. 4, 2025