Photo: Sierra Club-Executive Director Michael Brune and Sierra Club President Aaron Mair present Rep. Mary Mushinsky with the 2015 Distinguished Service Award at the annual awards ceremony held recently in San Francisco. (photo courtesy of Sierra Club)

 

 

For 46 years, Mary M. Mushinsky has served as State Representative in the 85th District covering parts of Wallingford. She ran for office in 1980, winning her race, and was sworn in as State Representative in 1981. For all of her years as a State Representative, she has also served on the legislature’s Environment Committee. Sierra Club has worked closely with Mary on many issues over the years. In 2015, she received a national Sierra Club award for her legislative efforts. Read on to learn about how Mary reshaped environmental protection in Connecticut.

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Connecticut’s Bottle Bill

Mary’s journey to the Connecticut General Assembly began with grassroots environmental activism in the late 1970s. The growing problem of litter and the waste crisis led Mary to campaign for the establishment of a Bottle Bill, otherwise known as a container deposit law. Mary worked with CT Citizen’s Action Group and fellow advocates Betty McLaughlin and Kathy Golas to press for this legislation. The efforts paid off, and in 1978, Connecticut was one of a handful of states with a Bottle Bill. This bill has led to the redemption of tens of billions of containers and significantly reduced litter and solid waste. The bottle bill was strengthened in 2021 and 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Photo: CCAG newsletter article about Mary Mushinsky and the Bottle Bill

 

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Photo: Rep. Mushinsky speaks at Zero Waste Press Conference in 2025.

 

Recycling

Connecticut was one of the first states to implement mandatory, statewide recycling with Mary again advocating for passage, this time as a State Representative. In 1991, following passage of two laws in 1987 and 1990 all residents, businesses, and institutions were required to separate out recyclables from trash.

 

Climate

The 1988 Congressional testimony on climate change by American Climatologist James Hansen inspired Mary to fight against climate change, establishing Connecticut's earliest foundational climate laws in 1989 and 1990. These laws established Connecticut as a leader in climate action. Since then Mary has been a leading legislative advocate to update and strengthen Connecticut’s climate laws.

 

Water Protection

In 1989, Mary pushed for and won the Connecticut Aquifer Protection Act to identify and protect critical water supply aquifers. Mary was a key proponent of The Connecticut State Water Plan, ratified on June 5, 2019, following an 18-year effort initiated in 2001 to manage water resources for human and environmental needs.

 

Pesticides

Mary led the effort to pass the Pesticide Right to Know legislation in Connecticut that requires anyone who applies pesticides outdoors to post signs notifying the public of the application.

 

Access to Parks

In her time as co-chair of the Program Investigations and Review Committee, Mary’s leadership led to free access to state parks for Connecticut residents by creating the Passport to the Parks program. The motor vehicle registration fee funds state parks, forests, and beaches, allowing free parking for Connecticut-registered vehicles. The legislature established the Passport to Parks in 2017, and it took effect in 2018. In Wallingford, Mary is leading the effort to build a bike way in Wallingford. So far the trail is 2-¼ miles long with a tunnel and two bridges.

 

Sierra Club Connecticut expresses our gratitude for Mary Mushinsky’s legacy of environmental protection. She will be sorely missed. 

 

Samantha Dynowski is State Director of Sierra Club Connecticut.