‘Effective immediately’: Governor Healey bans state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey on Monday announced two new executive orders related to climate action while attending the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York.

One executive order bans the purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies, “effective immediately,” Healey said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Plastics are one of the biggest threats to our oceans. In government, we can chart a better path forward, and Massachusetts is proud to lead the way,” Healey said.

The governor’s other executive order aims to protect biodiversity along the state’s coastline.

“I’ll sign an Executive Order directing our state to set biodiversity conservation goals for 2030, 2040, and 2050, and develop strategies to meet these goals,” Healey said. “These are the nation’s strongest protections and are among the first to extend to coastal and marine habitats.”

Healey said she announced the “two nation-leading actions to protect our sea.”

“Massachusetts can’t do this alone — our natural world recognizes no political divisions, and neither should our work to protect it. Working together, we can protect our oceans, our people, and our future,” Healey said.

Around the world, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and the increased use of plastics has “severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences,” according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

“Since the 1970s, the rate of plastic production has grown faster than that of any other material. If historic growth trends continue, global production of primary plastic is forecasted to reach 1,100 million tonnes by 2050. We have also seen a worrying shift towards single-use plastic products, items that are meant to be thrown away after a single short use,” the UN states on its website.

Approximately 85 per cent of all plastics produced end up in landfills or as unregulated waste, according to the UN.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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