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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6229
AN ACT CONCERNING A REDUCTION OF SINGLE -USE PLASTICS
AND POLYSTYRENE WASTE.
SUMMARY
Beginning July 1, 2027, this bill generally bans the sale, use, purchase,
and provision of certain polystyrene foodware and packaging products
and single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and sticks by certain entities. The
prohibition applies to businesses, state and municipal agencies, schools,
vendors with government contracts, and licensed food vendors
(including restaurants, food trucks, cafeterias, and other establishments
selling or distributing prepared food and drinks). The bill requires
pharmacies and medical facilities to make biodegradable or
compostable single-use plastic straws available and allows other
businesses and entities to provide these straws on request, including to
someone with a disability.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the bill requires state and municipal
buildings, including schools, required to contain drinking fountains to
(1) install and maintain an equal number of bottle-filling stations when
undertaking a capital project or replacing drinking fountains and (2)
ensure the bottle-filling stations remain publicly accessible and
functional. It requires the Department of Administrative Services to set
compliance guidelines for these requirements.
Lastly, the bill creates a nine-member task force to study the
reduction of single-use plastics in the state and requires it to report its
findings and recommendations to the Environment Committee by
February 1, 2026. The task force ends on that date or when it submits its
report, whichever is later.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2027, except the refilling station provision
is effective January 1, 2027, and the task force provision is effective upon 2025HB-06229-R000679-BA.DOCX
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passage.
BAN ON CERTAIN POLYSTYRENE A ND SINGLE-USE PLASTIC
PRODUCTS
Applicable Products
Beginning July 1, 2027, the bill generally prohibits the businesses and
government entities listed above from selling, using, buying, or
providing the following products:
1. single-use foodware containing polystyrene (i.e. any synthetic
polymer material commonly used to manufacture disposable
foodware);
2. packaging products made of polystyrene (e.g., packing peanuts);
and
3. single-use plastic straws, plastic stirrers, splash sticks, and
foodware accessories.
Exception for Specified Packaging Products
The bill’s prohibition does not apply to packaging products made of
polystyrene or containing polystyrene loose fill that is:
1. for prepackaged food that was filled and sealed before the
business received it;
2. for raw or frozen meat or seafood sold from a butcher case or
similar retail appliance;
3. a cooler or ice chest, as long as the polystyrene is fully encased in
another material; or
4. a reusable polystyrene for agricultural use.
Enforcement and Penalties
The Consumer Protection and Energy and Environmental Protection
departments must develop and implement an enforcement plan for the
ban that includes (1) educational outreach to provide guidance and
resources to businesses and institutions on transitioning to sustainable 2025HB-06229-R000679-BA.DOCX
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alternatives, (2) a fair compliance timeline, and (3) a tiered penalty
system.
Under the bill, the penalty for first violations is a written warning and
an “attendant assistance period” to comply. (The bill does not specify
what constitutes an “attendant assistance period.”) Subsequent
violations are subject to a penalty of up to $250.
The bill states that it does not prohibit municipalities from enacting
and enforcing stricter restrictions on polystyrene and single-use plastics
(disposable plastic products intended for one-time use, including plastic
cutlery, straws, stirrers, splash sticks, and foodware accessories).
SINGLE-USE PLASTICS REDUCTION TASK FORCE
Scope
Under the bill, the task force’s study must do the following:
1. identify sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics;
2. recommend ways to improve processing infrastructure for these
products;
3. determine the best methods to support businesses,
municipalities, and school systems in adopting circular economy
principles; and
4. determine reasonable timeframes for implementing additional
single-use plastic reduction requirements.
Task Force Membership and Administration
The task force consists of the DEEP commissioner, or her designee,
and the following appointed members:
1. a school nutrition program expert and state business expert, both
appointed by the House speaker;
2. a restaurant operations expert and hospital operations expert,
both appointed by the Senate president pro tempore; 2025HB-06229-R000679-BA.DOCX
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3. a municipal operations expert, appointed by the House majority
leader;
4. a state agency operations expert, appointed by the Senate
majority leader; and
5. two members appointed by the House and Senate minority
leaders, respectively.
Legislatively appointed members may be state legislators.
Appointing authorities must make all initial appointments within 30
days after the bill’s passage and fill any vacancies. The House speaker
and Senate president must select the task force’s chairpersons from its
members. The chairpersons must schedule the first meeting of the task
force within 60 days of the bill’s passage. The Environment Committee’s
administrative staff serves as that of the task force.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 25 Nay 8 (03/24/2025)