Fee fight: The New York state legislature is considering a bill that would block New York City’s law imposing a fee on plastic bags, according to Crain’s New York. A state Assembly committee recently advanced the bill, which would prohibit all cities in the state from imposing fees on plastic bags.
Marine debris: A study has concluded that marine debris found on the Hawaiian islands is the result of failures in waste management, not natural disasters. Marine debris appearing on island coastlines had been linked to the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, but state researchers found little connection between that incident and plastic litter on beaches.
Aluminum instead of plastic: One small beverage company is addressing consumer concerns about wasted plastic water bottles by packaging its water in aluminum cans, foodnavigator-usa.com reports.