Legislation was introduced in Congress last week that seeks to dramatically restrict and ultimately phase out most single-use plastics. Democratic Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Jeff Merkely (D-OR) joined Representatives Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) in filing the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 this week. The legislation would mandate a national beverage container deposit/refund program – with a minimum fee of $.10 per bottle and prohibit a number of single-use plastic products including takeout food bags, containers, plastic utensils and plastic straws. Further, it would prohibit the development of any new plastic production facilities until a nationwide recycling and composting infrastructure is established. Filed with no republican sponsors in either the House or the Senate, the proposal will likely not be taken up for consideration in the current republican-led Senate anytime soon.