Single-Use Plastic Packaging Reduction Laws

Publicity around the ocean plastics crisis and disruptions in global recycling markets resulting from China’s National Sword policy have brought heightened awareness and attention to disposable plastic packaging. This anti-plastic movement led to a wave of states enacting laws focused on targeted management of problematic materials, such as mismanaged plastics and single-use items (e.g., plastic carryout bags, foam food service containers, plastic straws).
 
Legislation began with a focus on plastic carryout bags. Next, state-level regulations started targeting other single-use plastic items such as utensils, containers, straws and expanded polystyrene (EPS) food service ware. Further legislation restricting single-use plastics can be expected. Some states are considering extended producer responsibility (EPR) as a management tool for packaging
(inclusive of plastic packaging), in addition to other single-use plastic legislation approaches. While not all regulations affect retailers, they are indicative of the growing legislative momentum around single-use plastics.
 
This fact sheet summarizes state-level restrictions on single-use plastic packaging across the U.S. For information about plastic bag legislation or extended producer responsibility laws (EPR), please visit RILA’s legislative resources pages:

• Consumer Bag Tracking Matrix - provides an overview of consumer bag legislation across the United States by state and/or municipality, as applicable, for both paper and plastic bags.
• Product Stewardship & EPR Matrix - covers state extended producer responsibility (EPR) or product stewardship enacted laws that shift responsibility to product manufacturers and distributors (i.e., producers) for certain products and materials, including packaging and paper products, at the end of life.