NC bill to reduce plastic waste passes out of second house committee

An NCPIRG-supported bill to reduce plastic waste (HB28 NC Managing Environmental Waste Act of 2023) passed unanimously out of its second house committee on Wednesday.

In its first committee meeting last month, the bill had hit some road bumps including the addition of a harmful “chemical recycling” amendment.  However, thanks to organizing from NCPIRG and other  environmental organizations, a bill substitute was adopted in committee on Wednesday which removed these damaging provisions and restored the bill to pursue its original mission: reducing plastic waste in our state government. 

As it stands now, H28-NC Managing Environmental Waste Act of 2023, would:

• Create a statement of policy encouraging sustainable material use in state agencies.
• Re-institute reporting requirements for state agencies, local governments, and school districts regarding recycling levels and progress towards existing state procurement goals. 
• Direct the Collaboratory to study the issue of plastic waste and plastic food service ware. The bill also would provide them with $50,000 to complete the study.
• Direct Legislative Services and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to implement a pilot program to reduce all plastic food service ware in their facilities.

All in all, this bill is a positive step forward to reduce plastic waste in North Carolina. Single-use plastics serve our needs for a few minutes and then become waste. It’s time our state government take steps to move beyond these unnecessary plastics.

The next determining moment for this plastics bill will be moving through the house rules committee and then on to the house floor. NCPIRG will remain committed to advocating for this critical legislation to ensure that our state government is a part of the plastic pollution solution, rather than a contributor to the problem. 

Take action now to tell your state legislators to support action on plastic pollution.