Policy Strategy On Plastic Pollution Released

The Biden administration has released a strategy document titled, “Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles and Priorities.” The document describes current and future federal actions aimed at reducing the impact of plastic pollution. The report comes from the Interagency Policy Committee on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy, launched by the administration in 2023.

The document reviews existing efforts, including EPA rules and risk assessments of toxic chemicals used in plastic production; ongoing process and material research under NIST and the DOE; procurement programs that limit waste generated by federal agencies; grant programs for waste management and recycling infrastructure; and the Marine Debris Program for removal and prevention of environmental plastic pollution.

Five focus areas are identified for future strategy. Opportunities for action by various agencies are described in each of these focus areas:

Assessing and Reducing Pollution from Plastic Production
Innovating Materials and Product Design
Decreasing Plastic Waste Generation
Improving Environmentally Sound Waste Management
Informing and Conducting Capture and Removal of Plastic Pollution

Strategies include studying the effects of production pollution, source reduction, waste and recycling infrastructure, materials and processing technology development, and waste removal. Source: Matt Stonecash

The administration also announced a goal to phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics for food service operations by 2027 and for all federal operations by 2035. The administration says it will meet the new goal by selecting reusable, compostable and highly recyclable products in food service.

“We are disappointed in today’s White House announcement, which arbitrarily singles out plastic under the false pretense of a lower environmental impact,” says Matt Seaholm, PLASTICS president and CEO. “The Plastics Industry Association and its member companies are dedicated to keeping plastic waste out of the environment, and we continue to collaborate with policymakers at all levels of government to achieve this goal.”

The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA), formerly known as ISRI, also issued a statement in response, saying: “The recycled materials industry supports the Biden-Harris administration’s pursuit of ways to reduce plastic pollution by supporting the use of reusable, compostable and highly recyclable products rather than disposable single-use plastic.”