Warren bill to help reduce single-use plastic passes House

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    May 8, 2024 | 2:09 PM

Warren bill to help reduce single-use plastic passes House 

HARRISBURG, May 8 – State Rep. Perry Warren’s bill that would encourage the use of reusable water bottles passed the PA House of Representatives today.

House Bill 1169, which now heads to the Senate for consideration, would require newly constructed state buildings, as well as existing state buildings undergoing renovations to their water and pipe infrastructure, to install water bottle filling stations. 

Last year 100 billion plastic beverage containers were sold in the U.S. Warren said many of them end up in the streets instead of in recycling containers. Worse, too many bottles end up in the ocean and waterways, polluting our waters and killing marine life.

“This bill began with a conversation with a student intern in my district office about the proliferation of plastic water bottles. Soon after, I traveled to a national park, used a water bottle filling station at Philadelphia International Airport on the way and visited a display at the national park visitor center on plastic water bottle waste,” Warren said. “Those three events led to me conceiving a bill that would reduce plastic water bottle waste by encouraging an alternative to disposable water bottles.”

Although water-bottle filling stations are more common than they were when Warren first introduced the bill in 2017, he said legislation is necessary to codify their use in state government buildings to encourage installation of water bottle filling stations elsewhere.

“Moreover,” Warren added, “this bill not only is good for the environment but also good for public health as water bottle filling stations are more hygienic than traditional drinking fountains.”

PennEnvironment thanked Warren for his leadership, noting that the bill makes the state government an example to other organizations and businesses throughout Pennsylvania.

"Plastic bottles and other types of single-use plastic pollute our waterways and clog our landfills,” Zero Waste Advocate for PennEnvironment Faran Savitz said. “Every Pennsylvanian has experienced seeing bottles littered on our streets, parks, and throughout our lives. Representative Warren's legislation is a simple, commonsense solution to begin tackling this problem. It's great to see our legislators taking the lead and setting an example by transitioning to sustainable, reusable alternatives."

H.B. 1169 would affect only buildings owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Warren represents the 31st Legislative District in Bucks County, comprised of Lower Makefield, Newtown Borough, Newtown Township, Upper Makefield and Yardley.

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