Not one, not two, but four more states ban single-use plastic bags

The number of statewide plastic bag bans in the U.S. tripled in June, with Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Oregon adding themselves to the list.

The number of statewide plastic bag bans in the U.S. tripled in June, with Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Oregon adding themselves to the list.

The states joined California and New York in passing bans on single-use plastic bags, requiring retailers and grocers to replace them with reusable or paper bags. Americans currently throw away 100 billion plastic bags every year, or 300 bags per person. We use these bags for just a few minutes, but they persist in the environment and impact public health for centuries to come.

“Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Oregon, New York and California are leading the country in addressing plastic pollution,” says the director of our Beyond Plastic campaign, Alex Truelove. “Clearly, momentum is building on this issue. But these states cannot tackle our plastic pollution crisis alone.”

Our national network is running campaigns to ban single-use plastic bags and other plastic pollution in 11 states across the country.

Read our press release here.

Photo Caption: Four more states ban one of the most common forms of pollution. Photo Credit: ND700 via Shutterstock

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