- If you agree, please consider signing onto this letter. You can do so by adding your information here. We will share the community letter with committee members who will hear public testimony on the bill.
- You can also comment on the bill directly. Comments are sent to your state senator and representatives, as you choose.
- The bill is scheduled for a public hearing January 24, 2019, at 10 am in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology (Subject to change). The committee meets in Senate Hearing Room 1, J.A. Cherberg Building, Olympia, W. You can verify the day's hearings and their agendas here.
- The bill's lead sponsor is Senator Kuderer (Patty.Kuderer@leg.wa.gov). The co-sponsors are Senators Darneille, Palumbo, Hunt, Pedersen.
Dear Senators,
We are writing to express our strong concerns with SB 5077, which
would prohibit the sale and distribution of plastic straws (including
compostable straws) anywhere in the state.
Many disabled people rely on plastic straws to hydrate.
Other materials do not offer the combination of strength, flexibility, and
safety that plastic straws do. For instance, metal straws conduct heat and are
an injury risk for people who can’t control biting down with their jaw. For
that same person, biting down turns a paper straw into a choking hazard. There
are similar issues with all other types of materials.
A non-disabled person who goes to a restaurant or coffee
shop can expect to receive everything they
need to consume a product—they don’t
have to bring their own cup. Refusing to provide plastic straws for disabled
patrons is a failure in equity, which is why disability organizations have
opposed these bills across the state and nation. This bill goes much further than
local proposals, though. By banning the sale and distribution of beverage straws across the state, without
exemption, disabled people who rely on straws would not be able to hydrate themselves
and could be forced onto feeding tubes and more costly attendant care. This affects
their basic right to live in the community.
The effectiveness of straw bans is also questionable. While 8 million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, straws
comprise just 0.025 percent of
that. There is also no indication that banning plastic straws will reduce
plastic waste. Starbucks’ voluntary
ban has led to the company adopting lids that use more plastic, for instance. Scientists
affiliated with Ocean Cleanup say that when measured by weight, fishing nets
and gear make up nearly half of the plastic waste in our oceans.
Many people in Washington care deeply about reducing plastic
waste and restoring our oceans to health – including residents with disabilities
who happen to rely on straws to hydrate. Steps that we collectively take to
reduce waste need to be thoughtful and have impact. Taking away basic access to
something as fundamental as having a sip of water is neither.
Sincerely,
