Healey bans state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles

BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced two new executive orders concerning climate on Monday while speaking at a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York.

Healey is banning state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles, effective immediately.

"Plastics are one of the biggest threats to our oceans. In government, we can chart a better path forward, and Massachusetts is proud to lead the way," Healey said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter.

The governor also directed the state to set "biodiversity conservation goals" for 2030, 2040 and 2050.

"These are the nation's strongest protections and are among the first to extend to coastal and marine habitats," she said.

More than 20 towns in Massachusetts have put restrictions on the sale of single-use plastic bottles.

According to the Sierra Club, Americans use about 50 billion single-serve plastic water bottles a year, with most ending up in landfills.