It seemed like 2020 was going to be the year of a big win for environmental groups in their war against single-use plastic bags. Several states, including New York, California, Maine, and New Jersey, had already enacted or were in the process of enacting bans on the bags. Additionally, bag taxes as much as $1 per bag had been enacted in some states. Federal legislation was also being proposed to restrict the use of plastic grocery bags.
On February 11, 2020, the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act was introduced by Representative Alan Lowenthal and Senator Tom Udall. The bill was written to “phase out certain single-use plastic products—including plastic carryout bags, plastic utensils and foodware made from polystyrene—nationwide, and protect the ability of state and local governments to implement stricter plastics policies,” according to a news release issued by Oceana. “In an effort to shift the burden of plastic waste to the companies producing it, the legislation would create a nationwide beverage container refund program and require single-use plastic producers to finance and manage waste and recycling programs.”
Source: EHS Dailyadvisor