Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order on Thursday banning state agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles.
Healey calls the ban, which centers around plastic bottles 21 ounces or less, "groundbreaking."
Climate change experts agree, citing the fact that various bottle bans have been considered by the state legislature for years, and have never been passed.
"It’s incredibly important for us to be reducing all the ways that we rely on fossil fuels and reducing our reliance on single use plastic is one of the chief things we can do at this time," Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer said.
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But others worry it could end up hurting the state in times of crisis, like when drinking water is needed during emergencies.
The International Bottled Water Association voiced their concerns in a letter to the governor, writing:
"Banning the purchase of bottled water in single-serve plastic packaging will lead to higher GHG emissions and will limit the government’s ability to respond to water needs in times of crisis.”
Others say the ban is a good start but the state needs to focus on other issues, like recycling.
“Reducing our use of unnecessary plastics must not cost us to be complacent about the recycling infrastructure we have to continue to support it and grow it," Meg-Sobkowicz-Kline, a professor of plastics engineering at UMass Lowell, said.
The governor also signed another executive order Thursday directing the state to develop biodiversity goals through 2050. The ban on state agencies purchasing single-use plastic bottles is effective now.
The governor made the announcement of her intention to sign the executive order for the bottle ban Monday at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.
“We know that plastic waste, plastic productions are among the leading threat to our oceans, our climate, environmental justice," Healey said on Monday. "In government we have an obligation, we also have an opportunity, to not only stop contributing to this damage, but chart a better path forward.”
“By doing this in a very visible, international conference and audience, Maura Healey is signaling to the legislature that we really need to do a lot more on this," Professor Joan Fitzgerald of Northeastern University said.
Some experts hope the move will spur even bigger change.
“I hope that it will make a difference that it will put pressure on the legislature to pass one of the bills that’s before them on eliminating particular types of single use plastics," Fitzgerald said.
