The bill aimed to reduce plastic pollution in Lake Tahoe by banning small water bottles. It had support from environmental groups and followed a similar policy on California’s side of the lake.
But business groups and representatives from the beverage industry raised concerns, and the proposal failed to advance.
“So the majority of support was from local groups and partners. And then opposition, if you look at that hearing, I think it shows a really great picture. The opposition was from national and international interest groups for bottle manufacturers and the beverage industry,” said Noa Banayan, government affairs manager with the League to Save Lake Tahoe, also known as Keep Tahoe Blue.
Critics previously argued that the ban would place an unnecessary burden on local businesses and visitors.
A ban is not an effective way to reduce plastic use, and the focus should be on improving plastic collection and recycling, said David Thorp of the American Beverage Association during a hearing in April.
At the time, he said, “A ban will take away the convenience and affordability of a safe option to consume water and very likely hurt local businesses. Local grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores rely on bottled water sales. Alternatives such as aluminum bottles of water are very expensive, and they have a larger environmental footprint than plastic bottles.”
Even though policy change takes time, the need to protect the lake is urgent, she said.
“Good ideas take time to turn into policy and law and come to fruition, and unfortunately, but also fortunately, politics is a filter that we have for these types of concepts. And this was not a new idea, because the city of South Lake Tahoe has it, the state of California is in development, Truckee as well, but this was a new concept in Nevada,” Banayan said.
She helped introduce the bill and said her group is still committed to reducing plastic waste.
“I think we’re disappointed with the outcome that the bill isn’t going to move this session, but we’re not despondent. This is our job, to figure out how to protect the lake in new and creative ways,” Banayan said.
One of those ways includes BEBOT, a beach-cleaning robot that will be back this Fourth of July to help collect plastic and other debris along Tahoe’s shores.
The organization plans to bring the legislation back in 2027, she said.
“We are definitely going to be working on this in 2027 and the next Nevada legislative session. This will be one of our big goals. I think the only change we need is just more time to work with all the stakeholders and talk to more businesses,” Banayan said.
