On Tuesday, the Oregon State Senate passed Senate Bill 551, a bill to reduce some of the most wasteful single-use plastic products. Plastic pollution harms the environment, endangers public health, and is an increasing concern for Americans. To reduce plastic waste, we must limit the disposable products handed to consumers daily and stop producing unnecessary plastic items that are easily replaceable with sustainable alternatives.
Senate Bill 551 would reduce plastic in three ways:
- Eliminate all plastic film bags at checkout at grocery stores and restaurants starting on January 1, 2027;
- Phase out single-use plastic toiletries at lodging establishments with more than 50 rooms starting on January 1, 2027 for all lodging establishments starting on January 1, 2028;
- Add utensils and condiments to our existing “straws upon request” law starting on July 1, 2026.
“Wasteful disposable plastics like thick plastic checkout bags, tiny shampoo at hotels, and plastic utensils and condiments that you didn’t ask for, aren’t just annoying for consumers, they add unnecessary costs to our Oregon businesses, and are contributing to an ever increasing pile of plastic trash that is harming the environment and public health,” said Oregon Senator Janeen Sollman (SD-15). “Senate Bill 551 is an important step in getting us closer to the zero waste future we’re working to build, and I look forward to my colleagues in the House passing this important bill.”
A February 2025 poll by Oceana shows a majority of Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters are concerned about plastic pollution, including 68% support for phasing out plastic bags and 72% support for phasing out plastic toiletries.
“Nothing we use for just a few minutes should pollute the environment for hundreds of years,” said Celeste Meiffren-Swango, state director of Environment Oregon. “Senate Bill 551 will help Oregon continue to shift away from our throwaway culture and build a future where we produce less plastic pollution. We commend the Senate for passing this bill [with bipartisan support] and we look forward to seeing it continue to move through the legislature.”
Senate Bill 551 now heads to the Oregon House for consideration.
