Detroit to state lawmakers: ‘Let us limit litter’

Detroit City Council took a symbolic step toward less litter and improving population  health.

During their meeting on Tuesdsay, October 9 , council members voted unanimously for a resolution that supports the repeal of PA 389 (currently House Bill 4299 sponsored by Rep. Morgan Foreman, and Senate Bill 195 sponsored by Senator Sue Shink), which would allow municipalities to phase out single-use plastics like grocery bags or styrofoam containers. The Detroit City Council also approved a similar resolution in 2023.

Single-use plastics are common pollutants in communities across the state, and many cannot be recycled. When plastics become litter in the environment and our neighborhoods, they break apart over time and become microplastics and nanoplastics. These tiny fragments persist in the environment where they pollute the water, soil, humans and animals, which can lead to negative health impacts. 

In 2016, the Michigan Legislature enacted PA 389 into law, prohibiting any local municipality from banning, taxing, or otherwise regulating single-use plastics. Samantha Pickering, public and environmental health policy manager for the Michigan Environmental Council, has worked with state lawmakers and local leaders alike on waste reduction.

“Detroit City Councilmembers sent a clear message to state legislators tonight: Give us back our local control so we can improve the health of our communities,” she said. “Local leaders do not make statements like this lightly. They know how prevalent and harmful single-use plastics can be, and they know residents and businesses alike can and are ready to shift away from them.”

Wayne County, Washtenaw County, and the City of Chelsea have also passed resolutions in support of repealing PA 389. If you are aware of other municipalities in Michigan that have passed something similar, or that would like to introduce a similar resolution, please reach out to samantha@environmentalcouncil.org.