Senate Bills 1872 and 1531 have both moved on to the third reading, with a deadline of May 9 to vote on whether or not to pass the bills. Senate Bill 1872 would create the Single-Use Plastic Bag Reduction Act. Under this act as soon as July 1, 2026 retail stores would be prohibited from offering customers single use bags, and would require a fee of at least 10 cents per bag for any recyclable alternatives stores could offer. Senate Bill 1531 would create the Disposable Food Service Container Act, which would go into effect at the beginning of 2030 and prohibits the sale or distribution of disposable food containers made of polystyrene foam.
TRANSCRIPT:
0:05: Illinois could be seeing the beginning of the end for single-use plastic bags as soon as 2026, and single-use foam containers may not be far behind.
0:15: Senate Bills 1872 and 1531 have recently passed the first steps of the legislative process and are now headed to the Senate floor.
0:26: If passed, Senate Bill 1872 would create the Single Use Plastic Bag Reduction Act.
0:33: Under this Act, as soon as July 1, 2026, retail stores would be prohibited from offering customers single-use bags and require a fee of at least 10 cents per bag for any recyclable alternatives.
0:46: Senate Bill 1531 offers a bit more time to prepare as if passed, it would create the disposable Food Service Container Act, which could go into effect at the start of 2030 and prohibit the sale or distribution of disposable food containers made of polystyrene foam.
1:04: I think single use plastic bags are unfortunately a pantry staple in my household, they have many uses.
1:11: They continue to have many uses, and I think, I think of all the people who do rely on some type of plastic bag, but at the end of the day they’re going to clean up streets, and I think that’s really important.
1:23: I mean, I think it’s a great step for Illinois. I mean, you know, we don’t have the best recycling capacity here in the state, so even though there has been a push to recycle, I think really the end game is to just remove plastic altogether.
1:39: So I think it’s definitely a better way to go.
1:45: As of 2016, researchers found that nearly 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year.
1:52: Bills such as these aim to reduce single-use debris, ending up in landfills or as litter in places such as the Great Lakes.
1:59: It’s honestly, you know, depending on the time of year, it’s not super excessive, but it’s still pretty bad here in Chicago.
2:05: You know, we have a lot of trash cans, but people still find ways to litter, so you know.
2:11: There’s really no reason for chain suppliers, I think anymore to be utilizing those types of things, any type of chain restaurant or franchise, it’s not that important.
2:24: It’s not, I mean, I think about what Trader Joe’s does with their tote bags and their reusable bags and everything, how it’s become commoditized and commercialized and kind of trendy.
2:35: I think something that started out as a brand initiative can become a way to become like a status symbol and that shouldn’t be the point of reducing waste.
2:49: I think it’s moving in the right direction. I do have some concerns sometimes about removing responsibility from corporations and putting it onto the individual, but other than that, I do think it is moving in the right way.
3:00: Both of these Senate bills currently have a third reading deadline of May 9, meaning they have until then on whether or not to pass the bill.
3:08: From there it goes on to the second house and then the governor who can eventually sign it into law.
3:13: This is Ali Brenneman for Chronicle TV
Copy edited by Matt Brady
