Senate Committee Discusses Plastic Bag, Straw Bans

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Senate Committe on Environment and Agriculture will consider a package of bills Wednesday evening aimed at limiting the amount of single-use plastic across Rhode Island. If passed, they would cause major changes to how Rhode Islanders shop and dine out.

The first, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick), would prohibit restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws with drinks unless a customer asks for one first.

"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."

The second bill focuses primarily on food packaging at restaurants. If passed, it would outlaw the use of polystyrene takeout containers in food service, with the exception of foods that are pre-packaged outside the state, packaging for certain items such as meat and if there is no reasonably priced, readily-available alternative. In addition, the bill would ban most single-use plastic bags from checkout counters as of 2021, and implement a paper bag fee of up to 25 cents.

The third and final bill focuses on generally reducing the amount of plastic waste in the state. This bill would also cut down on the number of single-use plastic bags, going a step further to encourage stores to make affordable reusable bags available to customers. Under this bill, recyclable paper bags would be available to shoppers as well for a fee of five cents apiece.

READ MORE: Local Senator Introduces Bill To Limit Plastic Straw Use

Several Rhode Island communities have already banned single-use plastic bags. They are:

• Barrington
• Bristol
• Jamestown
• Middletown
• Narragansett
• New Shoreham
• Newport
• North Kingston
• Portsmouth
• South Kingstown
• Tiverton
• Warren