Mapping the Nation's Mixed Bag on Plastic Bans

To curb plastic pollution, some states have banned plastic bags, while others have outlawed antiplastic legislation. See a U.S. map.

By Ambika Kandasamy
Conservation
Jun 27, 2024

ROUGHLY TWO-THIRDS of the 430 million tons of global plastic produced each year is used only fleetingly, and without preventive measures, plastic pollution could triple by 2060, according to the United Nations.

A graphic of a key for the Plastic Bans map.

All of that discarded plastic poses profound threats for wildlife. In 2023, researchers documented a new disease, plasticosis, in flesh-footed shearwaters that had consumed plastic products. Changes in the seabirds included pervasive scar-tissue formation in the stomach, scientists wrote in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, underscoring “the urgent need to continue to strengthen our knowledge of the sub-lethal impacts of this diverse pollutant.” In the North Pacific, fish collectively ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic annually, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, resulting in intestinal and other injuries. And both terrestrial and marine animals can become tangled in plastic, endangering their lives.

To curb plastic pollution in the United States—especially from single-use shopping bags, polystyrene food containers and straws—many places have enacted bans that bar retailers, restaurants and other entities from offering these items to customers. The legislative terrain is complex, uneven and continually shifting, however, with some states instituting plastic bans and others passing laws that forbid local jurisdictions from enacting antiplastic ordinances. This map reflects a sampling of policies as of December 2023, highlighting some noteworthy examples.

MOBILE, AL While Alabama does not ban plastic products, the nonprofit group Mobile Baykeeper worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to reduce local businesses’ plastic pollution.
SEWARD, AK A city ban on certain single-use plastic products extends to nonprofits, in addition to retailers and restaurants.
CALIFORNIA In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a ban on plastic produce bags that takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA In 2007, San Francisco became the first major city in the United States to ban single-use plastic bags.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA An ordinance banning expanded polystyrene food containers in county buildings dates back to 1989.
COLORADO A state law bans single-use plastic bags in most retail stores and polystyrene foam containers in restaurants.
BRECKENRIDGE, CO An ordinance bans several single-use plastic products, including the sale of plastic water bottles in town buildings and parks and at town-permitted events.
ATLANTA, GA A 2019 law bans the city and its contractors from buying and offering single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and polystyrene food containers.
HAWAI‘I Of the state’s five counties, four—Maui, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i and Honolulu—have banned plastic bags. With fewer than 100 residents, the fifth, Kalawao County, accounts for less than 0.01 percent of the state’s population.
LOUISVILLE, KY As of 2015, residents are prohibited from using plastic bags for yard waste.
MAINE In 2019, Gov. Janet Mills signed into law one of the nation’s first bans on businesses providing polystyrene foam food containers.
FALMOUTH, ME A law bans the sale of noncarbonated and unflavored water in single-use plastic bottles smaller than a gallon.
MARYLAND A 2019 state law was among the first in the nation to ban polystyrene food containers in businesses and schools.
MASSACHUSETTS In 2023, Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order banning state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles containing 21 fluid ounces or less.
LOWELL, MA As of 2019, retail establishments 3,000 square feet or larger cannot offer single-use plastic bags.
WALPOLE, MA In 2022, a town ban on single-use plastic checkout bags—but only those with handles—went into effect.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN An ordinance that took effect in 2020 requires retailers to charge customers a minimum of 5 cents for each single-use plastic bag.
MONTANA In 2021, the state passed a law prohibiting local jurisdictions from regulating single-use plastic bags.
NEVADA Two stores—Petco and Sprouts—started charging customers in Southern Nevada 10 cents per plastic bag in 2023.
NEW YORK, NY A law bans restaurants and delivery services from providing plastic utensils and sauce packets with to-go orders unless requested by customers.
ATHENS, OH Ohio’s attorney general filed a lawsuit in December 2023 seeking to overturn an Athens ordinance banning single-use plastic bags.
OREGON Beyond banning single-use plastic bags, the state bans restaurants and stores from offering plastic straws unless requested.
RHODE ISLAND Starting in 2022, the state banned restaurants from offering single-use plastic straws unless requested by customers.
LAREDO, TX In 2018, the Supreme Court of Texas struck down Laredo’s 2014 ban on plastic bags, setting a precedent that some organizations consider a de facto statewide prohibition on banning plastic bags.
WASHINGTON, D.C. While there’s no district-wide ban on disposable bags, a law that went into effect in 2010 requires businesses selling food or alcohol to charge customers 5 cents per bag. Another law enacted in 2022 bans restaurants from providing napkins, sauce packets, straws and plastic utensils unless requested.
WASHINGTON A 2023 law that prohibits lodgings from offering beauty products and other personal-care items in single-use plastic packaging goes into effect in 2027.
MILWAUKEE, WI Despite a state law that went into effect in 2016 prohibiting municipalities from banning plastic bags and other “auxiliary containers,” Milwaukee enacted a ban on plastic straws in 2020.