Legislator Kara Hahn proposes bill to ban plastic across Suffolk County

Members of the Plastic Reduction Task Force unveiled four bills proposed to ban plastic straws and food packaging across Suffolk County last week at the Port Jefferson courthouse.

While awareness of how harmful plastic waste can be on the environment and human health grows across the nation, Legislator Kara Hahn, the chairman of the PRTF, says an island surrounded by water, like Long Island, should be at the forefront on this issue.

“It’s important that Long Islanders lead the way when it comes to stopping plastic pollution,” Hahn said.

Straw waste in the ocean is ingested by marine wildlife, which makes its way up the food chain and eventually onto dinner tables.

The impact on wildlife is major, about 60 percent of seabird consume plastic. An estimate of 99 percent of seabirds that will consume plastic by 2050.

Most straws are made of polypropylene, a type of plastic that’s formed from petroleum. Chemicals found in polypropylene can leach into liquids and release compounds, especially when exposed to heat or acidic drinks.

“When plastic is in contact with heat, chemicals such as phthalates migrate into the food,” Beth Fiteni, member of the Plastic Reduction Task Force, said.

“Phthalates are hormone disruptors and we need a healthy hormone system in order for our organs to function properly. Hormone disruptors themselves are associated with the development of certain cancers.”

Because plastic is non-biodegradable, straw pollution in the ocean affects marine life with harmful chemicals that eventually circle back to food or drinking water. Bacteria fails to break down plastic entirely, so fish and other aquatic animals eat these small pieces of plastic.

“Chemicals found in plastic are not just in food that is traced back in our blood and urine, but microbeads that are plastic are in most of the shampoo and soaps we buy as well,” Meliker said.

Locally, over 1.3 tons of plastic microbeads wash down drains in Suffolk County each year, most of which flows into larger waters like the Atlantic Ocean and Reynolds Channel.

Surfrider Foundation, an environmental nonprofit that focuses on preserving the world’s oceans, has teamed up with the Plastic Reduction Task Force to convince local businesses and community members to shift away from plastic-use.

After Suffolk County placed a five-cent fee on grocery bags, the number of plastic bags used within the county reduced by 70 percent, Colleen Hen, member of the Surfrider Foundation, said.

“The new bills introduced are meant to reduce the amount of plastic used in Suffolk County even more,” Hen said.