plastic bag ban

State lawmakers will try again to pass restrictions on single-use plastic items in the coming legislative session.

The House last year approved a bill saying plastic straws should only be given out on request. But state Senators of both parties agreed to block the measure.

They argued it wasn’t needed -- that public opinion in the state was already turning against excessive plastic use.

Portsmouth's city council voted Monday night to begin considering a local ban on some single-use plastic products. It targets Styrofoam and it also affects city-sponsored events in terms of restricting single-use plastics like straws and plastic bags.

The state Senate Wednesday rejected two bills aimed at restricting single-use plastics in New Hampshire.

The Senate killed one proposal to require food service businesses to not to give out plastic straws except on request.

The bill had passed the House, and dozens of people supported it at a Senate hearing last month.

Dozens of people came to Concord Tuesday to support a proposal banning the use of most plastic straws and shopping bags. The two bills heard in the state Senate Commerce Committee have already passed the House of Representatives.

One would require businesses – except health care facilities – to only provide plastic straws on request.

Businesses in Portsmouth have mixed reviews for a proposed ban on single-use plastics in the city.

It's the fourth year Portsmouth has been considering introducing such a policy, aimed at reducing plastic pollution and litter. A handful of communities are considering similar bans.

New Hampshire lawmakers will consider a number of restrictions on single-use plastics this session.

Rep. Judith Spang, Democrat of Durham, says she's introducing bills to ban plastic bags and plastic straws statewide.

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England says it took in a record number of donations in 2017 and is on track to do the same this year.

The non-profit says one factor behind the increase in donations is the region’s aging population. As baby boomers downsize, it seems a trip to the Goodwill is often in order.

Last year alone, Goodwill NNE says it diverted 60 million pounds of stuff from the waste stream.

Spokesperson Heather Steeves says even if those items aren’t sold in stores, they have lots of ways of keeping them out of a landfill.

The Portsmouth City Council has voted to postpone debate on a proposed ban on single-use plastic bags in the city. The decision means the ban won’t be voted on anytime soon.

The 6 – 3 vote on Monday night came after concerns were raised about whether the city has the legal authority to enact a ban on plastic bags.

New research from the University of New Hampshire says taxes or bans on plastic bags are the most effective ways to manage their impact on the environment.

The research looked at the ways 13 different states and cities around the country have attempted to manage the use of plastic bags – from bans, to taxes, to recycling programs.