Governor Healey Signs Executive Order Banning State Agencies from Purchasing Single Use Plastic Bottles
Governor Maura Healey announced that she will sign an executive order banning state agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles. She also stated she will direct all agencies to have biodiversity conservation goals for 2030, 2040, and 2050. Healey made the announcement on September 18th at the Clinton Global Initiative, which meets annually to discuss issues including climate change and health equity.
Healey also called on other states to join the fight against climate change in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating “Massachusetts can’t do this alone — our natural world recognizes no political divisions, and neither should our work to protect it. Working together, we can protect our oceans, our people, and our future.”
The executive orders come at a time when climate change is risking the existence of species worldwide. In Massachusetts, 432 plant and animal species are protected under the Endangered Species Act, such as blue whales, barn owls, and green sea turtles.
Massachusetts will be the first state in the nation to have such a ban on plastic bottles. It is already one of ten states to have a “bottle bill”, which charges the buyer five cents per bottle. The bill is used to encourage customers to return their cans and bottles to recycling centers, where they will be refunded the five cents. Concord, Mass. was the first municipality in the country to ban the sale of plastic bottles in 2012. Since then, more than twenty towns in the Commonwealth have enforced restrictions on single-use plastic bottle sales.
In previous years, the state legislature has tried to pass similar legislation to Governor Healey’s executive order. However, no significant pieces of legislation have been passed. In 2014, former Rep. Tom Sannicandro introduced HB 2875 which would have prohibited the use of state funds for purchasing bottled water when public water facilities or potable water were available. The bill died in committee and did not make it to a vote. In 2017, Rep. Tom Walsh (D-Peabody) introduced a similar bill which had the same outcome as Sannicarndro’s bill and did not make it out of committee.
In the current legislative session, numerous bills have been introduced to cut down on plastic in Massachusetts. HB784/SB477 would prohibit retailers from distributing single-use plastic bags to customers. It would also enact a 10 cent fee for recyclable paper bags or recyclable carryout bags. Rep. Michelle Ciccolo (D-Lexington) introduced HB3676 earlier this year, which if passed would increase the current bottle bill tax from five cents to ten cents. The bill would also establish a Clean Environment Fund to “support recycling, composting, waste reduction, and other related programs.”
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