As the southeastern U.S. cleans up from Hurricane Helene, a devastating Category 4 storm, national experts are in New Haven this week to explore how plastics are contributing to climate change.

They said kicking the plastic habit won't be easy or cheap, but there are practical solutions.

Connecticut is already starting.

The state banned plastic bags in 2021. Plastic straws are still legal – lawmakers abandoned a plan to ban them – but many restaurants have already replaced plastic straws with paper.

“I don't like the paper straws,” said restaurant customer Mimi Connolly. “I know they’re good for the environment, but I do not like the way it makes beverages taste."

Another customer, Kristen Williams, agreed.

“It just makes everything taste different,” she said. “The feeling on your lips. It's just – it’s not the same.”

This week, dozens of national experts are pondering plastics in New Haven. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called the forum a brainstorming session.

“We’re trying to get our arms around it, as attorneys general, to try to figure out what we can do together,” he said. “The Legislature has done a lot. We could do a lot more.”

Researchers delivered ominous news.

As climate change worsens, plastic production is actually going up. Dr. Nihan Karali, with the Berkeley Lab, said by 2050, plastic production could make up a quarter of fossil fuel emissions. She added that renewable plastics are not economically practical at this time.

Consumers agree that kicking the plastic addiction will be extremely difficult.

“There's plastic everywhere, right?” said Rob Hester. “There's a million – you know, cars are full of plastic and everything’s full of plastic.”

But panelists also delivered promising news.

A 5 year-old start-up called Re:Dish produces cups and containers for major hospitals, arenas and colleges. The company’s products look like plastic, but they’re not – and they're reusable.

“That are washed in our facilities, tracked and sanitized, and then brought back to the institution,” said Re:Dish CEO Caroline Vanderlip.

Here in Connecticut, state lawmakers are considering “Extended Producer Responsibility” legislation, which would force retail giants like Amazon to recycle their shipping materials. EPR laws already apply to tire and paint manufacturers, as well as electronics and mattresses.

Lawmakers dropped a proposal to expand EPR rules to consumer packaging and smoke detectors in 2023 over concerns from existing recyclers, but the ideas are likely to resurface next year.

Physicians said individuals can do their part too, even if it seems small.

“It’s also important to think about plastic in places that don't usually come to mind, like non-stick cooking pans – replacing that with cast iron or stainless steel,” said Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a pediatrician with NYU School of Medicine in New York.