When I was younger, every day products came in glass jars – apple sauce, canned fruit and vegetables, even some brands of milk – because glass containers are reusable. Their use was discontinued in part because children began finding glass shards in their snacks, and so clean plastic packaging became king.

One item that was marketed in plastic was potatoes. As the daughter of a potato farmer, we didn’t buy potatoes in the store, but they were in perforated plastic bags in 5- and 10-pound sizes or in a bulk bin. The bags were sturdy enough to keep the potatoes from ripping or tearing the bag, but the perforations made it a single-use item.

The proposed rules in SB 5154 could make single-use packaging of fresh produce a thing of the past. While the goal of ridding the environment of excess waste is noble it should not be done in violation of federal rules or practicality.