The General Assembly’s Environment Committee passed a bill on March 24 that will ban plastic utensils, straws, stirrers, and polystyrene food containers starting in 2026 in an effort to remove plastics from the waste stream, but businesses and schools say it will cost them and their customers.
According to Committee Bill 6229, no state or municipal agency, vendor with a government contract, school, business or food vendor shall sell, use, purchase or provide any food containers composed of polystyrene, packing peanuts, or “any single use plastic cutlery, straw, plastic stirrer, splash stick or food ware accessory, except that a single use plastic straw may be provided, upon request, to persons with disabilities and shall be made available at pharmacies and medical facilities.”
The bill, which is co-sponsored by a long roster of House Democrats, received ample support from many environmental groups who argue polystyrene products, like Styrofoam, break down into microplastics that remain in the environment and drinking water, and that plastic utensils are not recyclable. The move comes after Connecticut banned single-use plastic grocery bags in 2021.
“Polystyrene is not only bulky, challenging, and expensive to recycle, but it also breaks down into microplastics that contaminate our environment and drinking water. With 11 states and the European Union already enacting similar bans, it is time for us to take decisive action,” Alex Rodriguez of Save the Sound wrote in public testimony. “Additionally, the proposed ban on single-use plastic straws, cutlery, and stirring sticks is vital. These items are not recycled due to food contamination and their small size, resulting in the accumulation of single-use plastics in the solid waste stream.”
However, the bill was opposed by businesses, school districts and, most notably, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) whose representatives argued that forcing school districts to switch to compostable trays and cutlery would cost at least $18.7 million and reduce the amount of school funding available to offer nutritious meals.
“The burden this proposal places on schools significantly limits the available resources to improve the components that make up school meals, including purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers,” CSDE Commissioner Charlene Tucker-Russell wrote, noting that it may also affect federal funding, which only allows for “necessary, reasonable and allocable” funding.
Susan Maffe, food and nutrition services director for Meriden Public Schools, said they conducted an analysis on the proposed ban and found the ban would cost an additional $200,000 per year, and Diane Edwards, nutrition services director for Enfield Public Schools, estimated the impact to be $170,000 per year, calling it an “unfunded mandate.”
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) argued the measure would impose higher costs on businesses and, therefore, customers and that the implementation date would be too soon, while the Connecticut Hospital Association wrote that it would be “extremely onerous in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.”
Several states have implemented restrictions on take-out food containers or plasticware, but Connecticut’s bill appears more restrictive in its current form. New Jersey and Maine have banned Styrofoam containers and barred businesses from giving out plasticware unless requested by the customer; California has implemented a plan to reduce single use plastic and ensure packaging and plasticware are recyclable by 2032.
Municipalities in states across the nation have implemented their own ban on polystyrene and single-use plastic like utensils and straws, even when the state has not. The State of New York has banned polystyrene, while New York City has limited plastic utensils and stirrers to customer requests only. Former Stamford Mayor David Martin signed an ordinance banning polystyrene food containers in the city starting in 2021.
“Polystyrene alternatives such as cardboard are easier to recycle while costing roughly the same to businesses,” Martin said in a press release. “This is a common sense environmental reform that benefits everyone who lives on this planet.”
The committee bill would also require schools to install and maintain bottle filling stations for every water fountain in the school “to promote the use of reusable water bottles,” according to the bill language. It would also require the Department of Consumer Protection to implement enforcement provisions and for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to submit a report detailing the effectiveness of the ban and its economic impact.
“When polystyrene breaks apart, it never fully decomposes. Instead, it fragments into microscopic plastic particles that persist in the environment for centuries,” wrote Connor Yakaitis, deputy director of the CT League of Conservation Voters in testimony. “These microplastics accumulate in seafood, meaning that Connecticut residents are likely consuming plastic particles when they eat locally caught fish and shellfish. Reducing plastic waste is not only an environmental necessity but also a public health imperative.”
Was this article helpful?
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
A small idea: let’s ask someone clever to create a reusable compact ‘take away’ container that fits into a pocket of purse so consumers can pack their leftovers from a restaurant rather than have them do it in their plastic or paper container. Much like bringing our own bags to the market, this would reduce some waste and expense to the restaurant. It would be a start…perhaps it would catch on.