National parks to phase out plastic bottles—with flexibility for costs
S. 1926 — Reducing Waste in National Parks Act · Filed by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) · 11 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 2, 2025 · Hearing held
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What it does
This bill directs the National Park Service to establish a program reducing disposable plastic products in national parks, with a focus on eliminating single-use plastic water bottles and other disposable plastics from park concessions. Parks must consider costs, waste reduction, infrastructure needs, visitor safety, and impacts on park vendors before implementing changes, and must educate visitors about the shift.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a directive to the National Park Service to reduce and eliminate disposable plastic products in parks through a phased, flexible program. This is straightforward environmental policy aimed at reducing plastic pollution in public lands.
What the text implies
- Parks may face upfront capital costs for bottle refill stations and water infrastructure, which could strain budgets if federal funding is not appropriated separately.
- Concessioners (private vendors operating in parks) may experience reduced revenue from bottled water sales, potentially affecting their contract terms and willingness to operate in parks.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Water refill station manufacturers and installers; Reusable container manufacturers; Environmental nonprofits (if grant funding is included in implementation)