Oregon passes single-use plastic law

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed two bills into law that aim to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in the state.

Senate Bill 543 will phase out the use of polystyrene (PS) foam foodware in Oregon and limit the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging starting Jan. 1, 2025. Senate Bill 545 instructs the Oregon Health Authority to update Oregon’s health code to make it easier for restaurants to provide reusable container options by no later than June 30, 2024.

RELATED: Oregon passes plastic bag ban

According to a report from the Oregon Capital Chronicle, a nonprofit news organization based in Salem, Oregon, these two laws build on other recent laws that are intended to reduce plastic waste in Oregon. State lawmakers passed a plastic bag ban that went into effect Jan. 1, 2020, prohibiting stores and restaurants from providing single-use plastic bags and instead offering paper bags or thicker, reusable plastic bags at a cost of at least 5 cents per bag to customers.

The Plastics Industry Association (Plastics), Washington, has expressed concerns related to the ban on PS food containers, specifically. Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of Plastics, says the new law is “unnecessary given the state’s recently enacted extended producer responsibility.”

He says, “Rather than give the people of Oregon the chance to responsibly recycle materials, this law forces the costly replacement of recyclable containers with alternative materials that could create an even larger carbon footprint. The plastics industry wants to keep plastic out of the environment and in the economy; we are committed to eliminating waste, but a ban like this is potentially worse for the environment and increases costs for business owners and consumers.”