Fresh off the enactment of a ban on single-use plastic and paper bags taking effect in 2022, state lawmakers are now advancing plans to up the recycled content in plastics such as drink bottles – and along with it, ban packing peanuts.
The bill has gotten multiple hearings in the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, which finally voted to advance a substitute version of it Thursday. State Sen. Bob Smith, D-Middlesex, said negotiations will continue over a half-dozen areas of disagreement.
“I think the overall testimony, at least as I heard it, was generally good step in the right direction,” Smith said. “We have a couple of issues left. Both teams, by the way, the environmental team and the industry team.”