Have any states banned single use plastics?

20 comments

1. There are states that have banned plastic bags and plastic straws.

   Here’s a [map](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_bag_bans_in_the_United_States#/media/File:Plastic_bag_legislation_in_the_United_States.svg) of plastic bag laws.

2. My city has banned plastic bags and styrofoam. And most restaurants will only provide straws and plastic cutlery on request (except for fast food)- it’s mainly with delivery. There’s a 5 cent charge for a reusable plastic or paper bag. But it’s limited to the city and I think 1 county. The rest of the state still uses them. It’s because we’re on a large bay and a lot of it gets into the water.

3. Because California likes to pretend they’re progressive but we’re not

4. Colorado is in a transition year for single use bags. For now you can sell buy them but they are 10¢ each. In the future they will not offer them at all but I don’t remember when.

5. Colorado now has a $.10 charge on every plastic grocery bag. I think that’s a reasonable incentive to encourage behavioral change.

6. Tennessee has actually done the opposite: we have banned counties and cities from banning plastic bags. Stores can still ban them (for example Aldi or Whole Foods) but the county or city government can’t

7. Why would we ban these? The US has a strong taboo against littering, and trash ends up in landfills, for which we have plenty of space. The whole “pacific garbage patch” is due to other countries that do not have good trash disposal practices using their waterways as a garbage dump.

   For many applications, plastic cups, cutlery, bags, etc. are the least bad in terms of waste and carbon content (e.g. ceramic cup that breaks after one or two uses, the water and trees needed to make paper goods).

8. No. Because banning single use plastics would set the quality and safety of Healthcare back by a century at least.

9. Why ban cotton buds?

10. NC has not banned plastic bags but a lot of stores encourage you to buy reusables. some also offer recycling programs for plastic bags.

    I use mine to pick up dog poop.

11. My state has probably made it illegal to do anything to help the environment.

12. Thankfully, zero of the states that I have lived in and visited have placed restrictions on single use plastics. Hopefully, for the sake of the consumer that remains to be the case.

13. Forget single use, I’d be okay with banning plastics outright. Metal, fiber, leather, stone and glass are all you really need for 99% of things

14. I haven’t paid attention to whether these are at the state vs city level. My experience is in Seattle, and I suspect most of these laws are city, not state. Polystyrene was the first to be banned, at least for food service. I looked this one up, and it looks like the city banned it in 2009 and the state is banning it starting mid next year. The state ban will go farther than the city ban, I can’t remember the last time I saw food come in a styrofoam container, but you can still get styrofoam coolers and packing peanuts (although it’s very rare I see packing peanuts). The state will ban those as well as food containers.

    Plastic bags were banned awhile ago, I never see them a grocery stores, but I have had a couple restaurants give me my take out in a plastic bag. Majority of restaurants use paper bags though.

    Plastic cups, stirrers and straws I’m not sure what the law is, but I don’t see them anymore. They’re mostly compostable plastic and sometimes paper.

    Plastic cutlery was banned, but I occasionally see restaurants still give them out. It’s mostly compostable plastic though.

    For all of these, businesses were allowed to use up their stock of plastic, so it can take awhile to see the full effect.

15. In New Jersey, both single use plastic AND paper bags are banned.

16. New Jersey has banned the use of many single use plastic shopping bags

17. Banning plastic use starting at the consumer level with things like forks is so goddamn stupid and pointless it makes me want to scream. Consumers have been duped into the guilt and responsibility of not using plastics while industry uses more than you could ever dream of. All brought to you by ad campaigns from the plastics industry.

    Spend a single day working in a warehouse, logistics, shipping, or any related industry and you’ll see more plastic and styrofoam get disposed of in a shift than your household could generate in a year.

    Should we find better solutions for groceries than plastic bags? Sure. Paper bags are great. Some other items it’s just making a shitty product. The real change needs to come from industry and they have to be incentivized to do so, otherwise they’re just doing whatever serves the bottom line.

18. All single use plastics? No not yet, a bunch have banned some single use plastics with varying degrees of severity.

    I know Maine and Massachusetts both banned plastic bags at the grocery store several years ago. But you can still buy plastic straws and plastic utensils.

19. Some states have made restrictions but overall that would not go over well. I know when the neighboring county imposed a 10 cent tax per plastic bag my county practically went on protest. It was not well received at all.

20. New Jersey has banned plastic bags. I don’t know if that applies to other disposable plastics.