Courtney Moore of Beyond Plastics’ Affiliate, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, shares her organization’s work to tackle plastic pollution in a state with preemption
A Styrofoam takeout container seems like a small thing.
It might be used for 20 minutes before being thrown away. But changing the rules around that container can take years.
In Alaska, we recently experienced that firsthand.
Our work to reduce single-use plastics has taken us from conversations with local businesses to the halls of the Alaska State Capitol. Along the way, we've learned that changing policy isn't just about convincing people to care about the environment. It's about finding the places where people already agree - and building from there.
One of the concepts that shapes this work is preemption.
In simple terms, preemption is about who gets to make the rules. State law can sometimes limit or override the ability of local governments to regulate a particular issue. Alaska has broad home-rule authority for many municipalities, but state law can preempt local action when the Legislature establishes a statewide policy or otherwise limits local authority.
For environmental issues, that creates an interesting tension. Alaska is enormous, and our communities are incredibly diverse. What works in Anchorage may not work the same way in a rural community or a coastal village. Local governments can develop solutions that fit their communities. But statewide legislation can establish a common standard across the state.
For those of us working on plastic pollution, both levels matter.
And, importantly, a statewide standard doesn't necessarily mean local action becomes meaningless. In this context, statewide legislation could establish a baseline while communities continue to build on that policy with their own local priorities, education, enforcement, and innovation. We've already seen how much local leadership can accomplish.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation maintains a list of communities that have enacted local plastic bag restrictions, including Anchorage, Bethel, Cordova, Dillingham, Haines, Homer, Kodiak, Palmer, Seward, Soldotna, Unalaska, Wasilla, and others. At one point, the Alaska Legislature documented 17 communities across the state where plastic bags are no longer allowed.
Bethel is also a good example of how local policy can continue to evolve. The city adopted Ordinance 25-13, which took effect in 2026 and addressed single-use plastic carryout bags while reaffirming its existing prohibition on disposable polystyrene foam food service ware. Bethel's local work shows that communities don't have to wait for a statewide law to decide what makes sense for their own community.
While working on Alaska's Styrofoam legislation, we were struck by how many legislators already had a personal connection to the problem. One Republican senator told us that she had completely overhauled her own kitchen to remove plastic from her home. She told us she would support our bill. Another Republican senator said she wants Styrofoam coolers banned next because they are a huge problem in her fishing community.
Those conversations stuck with us.
It reminded us that plastic pollution doesn't have to be a partisan issue. People may disagree about government, regulation, or the role of the state, but many of us share the same basic hopes: clean water, clean air, healthy food, healthy soil, and a healthy future for our children and grandchildren. We are also learning more about just how pervasive plastic exposure has become. Microplastics have been detected in human tissues, including placenta and breast milk, and researchers are continuing to investigate what that exposure means for human health.
Those conversations helped us find common ground quickly.
That common ground helped carry House Bill 25 through the Alaska Legislature. HB 25 would have prohibited restaurants from providing prepared food in disposable polystyrene foam food service ware and would have prohibited the state from purchasing or using it. The bill passed both the House and Senate in 2026.
Then it was vetoed by the governor on June 24, 2026.
A veto can feel like the end of a story. For us, it isn't.
We have a firm commitment that the legislation will be reintroduced, with a representative ready to carry it. The work continues because policy change is rarely a straight line. Sometimes a bill takes more than one legislative session. Like we've seen with friends and our Beyond Plastics friends in New York State with the Extended Producer Responsibility bill, sometimes it takes more conversations, more education, and more people willing to keep showing up. While we work toward statewide policy, we also see change happening from the ground up.
Through Plastic Free 907, our program recognizes Alaska businesses and organizations that are choosing sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics. These businesses are proof that change doesn't always have to begin with legislation. Sometimes it begins with one restaurant, one organization, one business owner, or one community deciding to do something differently.
A business can demonstrate that an alternative works. A community can show that people are ready for change. Advocates can bring those stories to lawmakers. And lawmakers can create policies that make successful solutions possible on a much larger scale.
For us, that's the bigger lesson of Alaska's plastic fight.
It is about finding the common ground that already exists, recognizing that most of us want clean water and healthy communities, and continuing to show up- even when the first attempt doesn't make it across the finish line.
The Styrofoam container may be small. The change we're working toward is not!
In Plastic Free Solidarity,
Courtney Moore
Plastics and Petrochemicals Coordinator
Alaska Community Action on Toxics
