The Newtown Township Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) has drafted a single-use plastics ban ordinance, which was handed out at its April 3, 2023, public meeting,. Several local businesses attended this meeting as well as Faran Savitz, Zero Waste Advocate, Penn Environment, who made a presentation (download PDF) that summarized the environmental and health problems posed by non-recyclable plastics and made a case for banning single-use plastics.

In April 2022, Newtown Township passed a resolution to voluntarily reduce the distribution of single-use plastics. According to the EAC, several small businesses were receptive and switched to environmentally friendly, reusable or recyclable bags and products. However, many of larger businesses have not been receptive and stated that they would comply only if there was a mandatory ordinance. Without their participation, the Newtown EAC concluded that the voluntary resolution had been ineffective in getting residents to switch to reusable bags.

The goal of the ordinance is to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags, expanded polystyrene food service products, single-use plastic straws, and single-use plastic utensils by retail establishments within the Township. 

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