Sustainability March 13, 2025
Oregon Looks To Expand Plastic Bag Ban
The bill, passed by the State Senate, would cover thicker-film plastic bags and also require customers to ask for things like single-serving condiment packages and plastic cutlery.
Key Takeaways
• Expansion of Plastic Ban: The Oregon Senate passed a bill expanding an existing plastic ban to include restaurant takeout bags and thicker “reusable” plastic bags. It would also require customers to request plastic utensils, single-serve condiments and plastic-packaged hotel toiletries.
• Environmental & Economic Benefits: Proponents argue that the expanded ban will reduce plastic waste in waterways and help businesses save money by reducing the need to purchase plastic goods.
• Next Steps: The bill now moves to the State House. If passed, the law would go into effect in July 2026, with the hotel toiletries ban starting in July 2027.
Six years after passing a single-use plastic bag ban and limits on plastic straws, Oregon is looking to expand the ban to cover things like restaurant takeout bags, thicker-film “reusable” plastic bags and more.
For many in the promo products industry, single-use plastic bag bans have been viewed as an opportunity to sell more branded reusable totes to clients.
The Oregon Senate voted, 22-8, earlier this week to pass Senate Bill 551. In addition to banning carryout bags and thicker plastic bags, the expanded ban would require customers to explicitly ask for plastic utensils, single-serve condiments and plastic-packaged hotel-issued toiletries – similar to how customers in the state have to ask for straws.
The bill now moves onto the State House. If it becomes law, the requirements would go into effect in July 2026. The portion that bans hotel toiletries would become effective in July 2027.
Proponents of the bill say it will be a boon for the environment – helping to reduce plastic waste on beaches and in waterways – but also help businesses save money since they’ll be buying fewer plastic goods.
“I want to be clear, this is not a ban on all plastic, but a mere drop in the plastic deluge of products we encounter every day,” Democratic Sen. Janeen Sollman told the Oregon Capital Chronicle. “If we can do a bill that saves business dollars along the way, that is a win.”
Sollman told KCBY that water testing done in Oregon found that more than 30 waterways in the state showed signs of microplastic pollution.
The measure had some bipartisan support, with several Republican state senators backing it, noting that reducing single-use plastic would be positive for the state’s fishing, pulp and paper industries, in addition to the environmental benefits. (Under the bill, stores could offer customers recycled paper bags for a fee, instead of plastic options.)
“I can’t go to Port Orford and walk the beach … and not find plastic on my beaches,” Republican Sen. David Brock Smith told the Capital Chronicle. “I go up the rivers and there’s beautiful and amazing camping sites that are free to stay at, and it’s littered with plastic bags, plastic silverware. I have found the small shampoo and conditioners and soaps in the past, and frankly, that needs to change.”
Oregon’s move comes a few months after California closed a loophole in its long-standing plastic bag ban, banning the use of both thick- and thin-film plastic bags in the state, effective Jan. 1, 2026. California’s original plastic bag ban, passed more than a decade ago, sparked a wave of similar legislation across the country.
In addition to Oregon’s initial law, Colorado, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington all have restrictions. Hawaii doesn’t have a state-level ban, but counties enacted their own restrictions independently, effectively outlawing single-use plastic bags statewide.
Promo for the Planet is your destination for the latest news, biggest trends and best ideas to help build a more sustainable and socially-responsible industry.