Mixed Results for Litter in Maryland as the 2021 General Assembly Session Ends
The Maryland General Assembly concluded its 2021 session last night at midnight with mixed results for trash pollution policy in the state. We were very excited for the passage of the balloon release ban, but most single-use plastics bills failed this session. The biggest disappointment was the Plastic Bag Reduction Act which passed the House of Delegates for the second year in a row (thank you!), but died in the Senate because the Finance Committee never held a vote. Here’s the rundown:
SB716/HB391 - Solid Waste Management - Prohibition on Releasing a Balloon into the Atmosphere - Passed! Beginning on October 1, 2021, the knowing release of a balloon into the atmosphere will be prohibited, with some exceptions such as for scientific purposes. Letting balloons go is littering, and balloon litter causes grave harm to wildlife and adversely affects human health. We were certainly happy that this passed. Special thanks to Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, and Wicomico counties and the Town of Ocean City for leading the way by already banning the intentional release of balloons.
SB116/HB164 - Department of the Environment - Office of Recycling - Recycling Market Development - Passed! This bill requires the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Office of Recycling to promote the development of markets for recycled materials in the state. We hope that this will help counties and municipalities in their recycling efforts.
SB484/HB264 - Solid Waste Management - Organics Recycling and Waste Diversion - Food Residuals. Passed! Beginning on January 1, 2024, schools, stores, restaurants and cafeterias generating more than one ton of food residuals each week must separate that waste for composting if the facility is within 30 miles of an organics recycling facility. The date is January 1, 2023 for facilities generating more than two tons of waste a week.
SB304/HB280 - Maryland Recycling Act - Recyclable Materials and Resource Recovery Facilities - Alterations - Passed! This bill removes incinerator ash as a recyclable material under the Maryland Recycling Act. Currently, jurisdictions can count incinerator ash towards their recycling goals, giving people the false sense that a higher percentage of items are being recycled than is actually the case.
SB223/HB314 - Plastic Bag Reduction Act - Passed the House, but failed in the Senate. This bill would have banned single-use plastic bags at checkout counters across the state, bringing a much needed reduction to plastic bag waste in our communities and environment. Last year the bill passed the House of Delegates, and then passed the Senate Finance Committee before dying on the Senate floor when the legislative session was cut short due to covid-19. This year the House passed the bill again (thank you!), but the Senate Finance Committee failed to take any action on the bill despite broad support for the measure. It is still unclear why the Senate didn’t act, but we aren’t going to wait until next year. We’re already working with several of Maryland’s counties to get plastic bag bans passed locally.
HB69 - Environment - Single Use Plastics - Restrictions - Failed in the House. This bill would have made many single-use plastic items (like straws, utensils, small toiletry bottles, etc.) at restaurants and hotels by request only. The bill had a good hearing and we made a lot of progress negotiating with the Maryland Restaurant Association, but in the end the bill failed. We have high hopes for this bill next year, and during the process Howard County managed to pass an even stronger version of the bill (thanks Howard County!), so we plan to take that momentum to other counties as well.
Thanks for all of your support during this very busy session. Now that it’s over we’re shifting our sights to local policy making efforts while planning for the 2022 Maryland General Assembly Session. Onward!