Local Senator Introduces Bill To Limit Plastic Straw Use

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A local lawmaker has introduced a bill aimed at limiting plastic straw use in Rhode Island. If passed, the bill would prohibit restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless a customer specifically requests one.

Senate Majority Michael McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) introduced the bill, which is similar to a California law that went into effect on January 1.

“Single-use plastic straws negatively impact our environment,” Sen. McCaffrey said in a statement. “These straws litter our shoreline and we’ve seen particularly disastrous consequences for marine life. Curtailing the use of plastic straws in restaurants will improve our environment and encourage consumers to think twice about their own carbon footprint.”

Establishments in violation of the law would receive a notice of violation for the first and second offenses. Any subsequent violation would be met with a $25 fine, up to $300 annually.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans threw away more than 33 million tons of plastic in 2014, most of which was not recycled.

The National Park Service estimated that over 500 million single-use plastic straws are used and thrown away daily in the U.S., with each person using an average of 1.6 straws per day.

A movement called The Last Plastic Straw is aiming to educate the public and decrease plastic straw use across the country and world. Their Last Plastic Straw Challenge encourages bars and restaurants to eliminate plastic pollution at the source by only providing plastic straws upon request.

The bill has been cosponsored by Senators V. Susan Sosnowski (D – Dist. 37, New Shoreham, South Kingstown), Joshua Miller (D – Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence), Dawn Euer (D – Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown) and Louis P. DiPalma (D – Dist. 12, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton). It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture.

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