Rhode Island lawmakers are once again considering statewide bans on single-use plastic bags and straws.

More than a dozen cities and towns in the state, including its capital Providence, have already enacted single-use plastic bans. However, Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee is proposing legislation that would create uniform guidelines for all cities and towns to follow.

Single-use plastic bags would be prohibited at grocery stores, restaurants and other retailers. The ban would not include bags used by customers inside a business to package loose items, such as “fruits, vegetables, nuts, ground coffee, grains, candies or small hardware items” or “bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, flowers or potted plants,” the Narragansett Times reported. Newspaper bags used for home delivery or bags sold in packages, like garbage bags or doggie bags, would also be exempt from the ban.

Since 2013, legislators have been pushing for a statewide ban. The General Assembly came closest to passing a ban last year, but the point of contention was how to define reusable bags, The Providence Journal reported. (That’s a point of contention throughout the promotional products industry, too.) The final Senate version specified that they must have “stitched handles” to prevent retailers from handing out thicker single-use plastic bags, but the House bill was not amended.

The Senate bill included another change: removing a provision that allowed retailers to charge 5 cents for replacement paper bags. The failed House bill retained the provision. The bill introduced this year by Senate President Dominick Ruggerio includes the stitched-handle requirement and does not have a fee for paper bags. Meanwhile, McEntee’s legislation includes the fee.

Students at @BrownUniversity @BrownMedicine spoke about the health problems caused by discarded plastic bags and other microplastics during a hearing for a Rhode Island Senate bill to ban on plastic shopping bags. https://t.co/g1ecjRShTL

— Brown Alumni Careers (@BrownAlumCareer) February 1, 2020

Additionally, David A. Bennett, chairman of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, is introducing legislation that would prohibit food service establishments from providing plastic straws unless requested by the customer, abc6.com reported. He’s also sponsoring another piece of legislation that would prohibit food service establishments from using disposable foam food packaging or plastic stirrers.

If enacted, the regulations could help stimulate sales of branded totes, logoed reusable bags and reusable straws in Rhode Island – a potential boon for promotional products distributors. Grocery stores and restaurants in particular could become prospects. If they’re compelled to distribute reusables, then the bags/straws should be branded to encourage loyalty, keep the store top of mind and advertise the business wherever the products are used. After all, reusable straws were considered the 2019 Promo Item of the Year.

Ban proponents say plastic bags and straws present a threat to wildlife and natural habitat, while also generating litter and pollution. The world produces more than 300 million tons of plastic each year, according to Statista, and scientists estimate that up to 91% of plastic is never recycled. The average American family reportedly uses 1,500 plastic bags annually.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, eight states have already enacted single-use plastic bag bans — including Rhode Island’s nearby neighbors Vermont and Maine. Major cities, like Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle, have also enacted bans. 

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