119-S-1926 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary — S. 1926 “Reducing Waste in National Parks Act”

Headline Summary: The bill would curb disposable plastics in national parks by phasing out sales (especially bottled water) where feasible, adding refill stations and visitor education, and regularly checking results. [1]Congress.gov — Text - S.1926 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Reducing Waste in Na…

What It Does: Within 180 days of enactment, the National Park Service (NPS) must launch a park‑wide program to reduce single‑use plastics. Regional directors are instructed to eliminate sales of bottled water and other disposable plastic items “to the greatest extent feasible,” after weighing factors like costs, refill‑station infrastructure and testing, contract obligations for concessioners, signage and visitor education, and safety risks (e.g., dehydration). The bill defines covered items to include beverage bottles, plastic bags, plastic foodware (including items marketed as “compostable”), and foam (expanded polystyrene). It also requires biennial evaluations of visitor satisfaction, safety, buying behavior, and waste collection rates. [1]Congress.gov — Text - S.1926 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Reducing Waste in Na…

Why It Matters: Parks struggle with plastic litter and hauling costs; past park programs that stopped selling bottled water were estimated to keep as much as 112,000 pounds of plastic out of the waste stream annually. At the same time, agencies have cited hydration and safety as concerns if bottled water isn’t readily available, which this bill addresses by requiring education, signage, and water access planning. The debate intensified after Interior’s June 2022 order to phase out single‑use plastics on public lands by 2032 was rescinded in May 2025, and this bill would set a statutory framework regardless of shifting executive policies. [5]Washington Post — The National Park Service showed that its bottled water ban w…[6]U.S. National Park Service — National Park Service Ends Effort to Eliminate Sal…[3]U.S. Department of the Interior — Secretary Haaland Issues Order to Phase Out S…[4]Oceana — Interior Department Opens the Floodgates to Single-Use Plastics in Ame…

• Sponsor and backers: Led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D‑OR) with Democratic/Independent co‑sponsors; referred to the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. [7]Congress.gov — S.1926 — Reducing Waste in National Parks Act (Overview)
• Environmental groups (e.g., Oceana, National Parks Conservation Association) support reducing single‑use plastics in parks, pointing to wildlife impacts and broad public support in polling. [4]Oceana — Interior Department Opens the Floodgates to Single-Use Plastics in Ame…[8]National Parks Conservation Association — Steps to Make National Parks Plastic‑…
• Context from NPS/park partners: Prior refill‑station efforts and zero‑landfill pilots are often cited as workable alternatives that keep visitors hydrated while cutting waste. [8]National Parks Conservation Association — Steps to Make National Parks Plastic‑…

• Bottled‑water industry (International Bottled Water Association) argues bans remove a healthy hydration option and can push visitors toward sugary drinks; they favored the 2017 rollback of bottled‑water sales restrictions. [9]National Parks Traveler — UPDATE: National Park Service Ends Ban On Disposable…
• Fiscal conservative groups (e.g., Citizens Against Government Waste) say blanket restrictions are illogical and not evidence‑based. [10]Citizens Against Government Waste — National Park Service Overturns Ban on Bott…
• Plastics industry organizations (e.g., American Chemistry Council) generally oppose broad single‑use bans, claiming alternatives can raise total waste or emissions—positions often invoked in related policy debates. [11]American Chemistry Council — ACC: Vermont’s Single‑Use Plastic Ban Could Increa…

What’s Next: The bill was heard in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks on December 9, 2025. It remains in committee as of December 10, 2025; next steps would be a subcommittee markup, full committee vote, and then floor consideration. [2]U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources — National Park Subcommitte…[7]Congress.gov — S.1926 — Reducing Waste in National Parks Act (Overview)