Latest News on Plastic Bag Bans in The United States
Find Out The Latest News on the Plastic Bag Ban Movement in The United States
Efforts to ban single-use plastic bags are continuing to move forward all over the United States. Find out the latest news on which United States’ cities and towns have passed or are considering passing disposable plastic bag bans. Get a handle on the big picture and review our plastic bag ban map. We recently made some improvements to the site’s function, and we are always adding new pins, so check it out and learn more about the movement to ban single-use plastic bags.
Going Plastic-Free in the Bay State
The total number of Massachusetts towns with single-use plastic bag bans in place has reached 79. New towns are joining the movement all the time, so that number is likely to change, and this stat should be obsolete any day now. One of the more recent Massachusetts towns to join the bag ban movement is Cohasset. Disposable plastic bags will be banned throughout this coastal town starting November 1, 2018. A short time later, in January of 2019, disposable plastic bags will be prohibited in Lowell and Andover. Several Massachusetts towns, including Swampscott and Longmeadow, are considering single-use plastic bags of their own.
Efforts in the Empire State
Officials in Warren County, New York, initially proposed banning plastic bags but opted to put these efforts on hold in early 2017 after there was talk of action being taken at the state level. New York officials have been slow to get their act together, and there has been significant opposition. Any state-wide measure is likely years off, so Warren County officials decided to move forward with their proposal.
Proposal in the Music City
Tennessee is joining the fray with a proposal in Nashville to ban single-use plastic bags. Several Metro Nashville council members are behind the ban. At this point, everyone agrees that research concerning the impact of a ban on local businesses and the environment is necessary before moving forward.
Struggle in the Sunshine State
State law in Florida prevents municipalities from passing laws that restrict the use of disposable plastic bags. Many cities, particularly along the coast, have expressed interest in plastic bag bans, and in 2017 Coral Gables went so far as to pass a ban. The Coral Gables ban was overturned and is currently being appealed.
Many Florida cities have been keeping an eye on Coral Gables, and if that ban were to be upheld and put into action, it is likely many towns throughout the state would follow that lead. Wakulla County decided they didn’t want to wait, and a proposal to ban single-use plastic bags has been put out there.
Bans Coming to the Last Frontier
After a strong show of support, a plastic bag ban was passed in Palmer, Alaska. This ban goes into action on January 1, 2019. The ban in Palmer was largely inspired by a bag ban passed in nearby Wasilla, which will become effective on July 1, 2018.
Learn About the Movement
Find out more about the plastic bag ban movement by checking out our interactive plastic bag ban map. This map tracks bag bans and fees while also listing failed efforts to help provide a complete picture of the movement to stop the spread of single-use plastic bags. Updating the map is an ongoing process, and if you know of any locations that should be added, please let us know in the comments!