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SB 2531

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- PLASTIC WASTE CONVERSION FACILITY ACT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island would ban new plastic waste conversion facilities by prohibiting permits and licenses for construction or operation.

04/29/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2531

Summary of SB 2531 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Title

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY — PLASTIC WASTE CONVERSION FACILITY ACT

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes the Plastic Waste Conversion Facility Act.
  • The act prohibits the construction or operation of new plastic waste conversion facilities in Rhode Island and blocks state-issued permits or licenses for such facilities.
  • The findings describe concerns about environmental and public health risks from plastic waste conversion technologies and assert that these facilities often function more as waste disposal than material recovery, with limited evidence of scalable, meaningful plastic recycling. The act is framed as protecting health, safety, environment, climate, and welfare of Rhode Island residents.

Key provisions

Definitions (Chapter 19.20)

  • Expands in-depth definitions related to plastic waste conversion facilities, including:
    • What constitutes a “plastic waste conversion facility” (PWC) and the technologies it uses.
    • Examples of regulated technologies: gasification, pyrolysis, solvolysis, hydropyrolysis, methanolysis, depolymerization, enzymatic breakdown, combustion, and other processes that transform plastics or plastic-derived materials.
    • Range of outputs: fuels, chemical feedstocks, monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, waxes, lubricants, or other hydrocarbons, regardless of labeling (e.g., “advanced” or “molecular” recycling).
    • Definitions of “post-use polymer,” “recovered feedstock,” and “segregated solid waste.”
    • Clarifies that regulatory scope covers processes regardless of operating temperature, energy input, or claimed efficiency.
  • Clarifies that “regulated technologies” include both incineration-like energy recovery and a broad set of chemical/thermochemical processes.

Prohibition on new facilities (Section 2)

  • Subsection (a): Prohibits issuance of any permit or license for the construction or operation of a new plastic waste conversion facility.
  • Subsection (b): Prohibits treating such facilities as manufacturing, materials recovery, or recycling based on outputs; ensures outputs do not alter the prohibition’s applicability.

Effective date

  • The act takes effect upon passage.

Who/what is affected

  • Prospective developers and operators of plastic waste conversion facilities in Rhode Island.
  • Regulatory agencies and the permitting process for waste management and associated facilities (State of Rhode Island authorities responsible for permit/licensing decisions).
  • Communities potentially targeted for siting of such facilities (the findings reference environmental justice concerns but the bill itself imposes a statewide prohibition).

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • Status: Introduced February 13, 2026; referred to Senate Environment & Agriculture.
  • The committee recommended the measure be held for further study (as of the latest action on April 29, 2026).
  • If enacted, the prohibition would take effect upon passage (no transitional period specified).

Potential impacts

  • Environmental and public health: Aims to prevent the installation and operation of facilities that could emit toxic pollutants and generate hazardous waste associated with plastic conversion technologies.
  • Economic/financial: Shifts incentives away from private development of PWC facilities and away from related subsidies, potentially reducing public subsidy exposure and financial risk to taxpayers.
  • Environmental justice: Addresses concerns about siting and exposure in low-income communities and communities of color by blocking these facilities.
  • Industry impact: Would limit or halt advancement of “advanced” or “molecular” recycling projects that rely on regulated technologies as defined in the act.

Summary

SB 2531 would ban the construction and operation of new plastic waste conversion facilities in Rhode Island by prohibiting state permits/licenses and redefining regulated technologies to cover a wide range of thermochemical and chemical processes. It emphasizes health, safety, environmental, and climate considerations and seeks to prevent reliance on facilities that allegedly operate as waste disposal rather than material recovery. The bill is currently under consideration with a hold for further study.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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