United States · Bill · S
S. 984 (117th)
Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021
Introduced
25 March 2021
Last action
25 March 2021 · Introduced
Status
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sponsors
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL], Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA], Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA], Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
Subjects
Environment, Taxation
Source updated
20 January 2026
Summary
Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021 This bill sets forth requirements and incentives to reduce the production of a variety of products and materials, including plastics, and increase efforts to collect, recycle, or compost products and materials. The bill makes certain producers of products (e.g., packaging, paper, single-use products, beverage containers, or food service products) fiscally responsible for collecting, managing, and recycling or composting the products after consumer use. In addition, the bill establishes (1) minimum percentages of products that must be reused, recycled, or composted; and (2) an increasing percentage of recycled content that must be contained in beverage containers. Beginning on January 1, 2023, the bill phases out a variety of single-use products, such as plastic utensils. The bill also sets forth provisions to encourage the reduction of single-use products, including by establishing programs to refund consumers for returning beverage containers and by establishing a tax on carryout bags. The bill creates a temporary moratorium on new or expanded permits for certain facilities that manufacture plastics until regulations are updated to address pollution from the facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must publish guidelines for a national standardized labeling system for recycling and composting receptacles. Producers must include labels on their products that are easy to read and indicate whether the products are recyclable, compostable, or reusable. The EPA must also ensure that certain clothes washers have filtration units as required by this bill. Finally, the bill establishes limitations on the export of plastic waste to other countries.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
25 March 2021
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Source: IntroReferral
25 March 2021
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
- Introduced in Senate · 25 March 2021 · Download file
Documents
3 official files
Introduced in Senate (text)
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Introduced in Senate (text)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 25 March 2021
Introduced in Senate (PDF)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 25 March 2021
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 25 March 2021
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Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.
Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.
Sponsors
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · I · Sponsor
- Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] · D · Sponsor
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] · D · Cosponsor
- · ssfi00 · Standing
Related records
- related to ← Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021
- related to ← A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate certain limitations with respect to pre-production plastic pellet pollution, and for other purposes.
- related to ← Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/984
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/117/s/984
- us · 117-s-984 · source updated 20 January 2026