Biden Administration Commits to Plastic-Free Government
Oceana applauds the administration for plan to eliminate single-use plastics
Press Release Date: July 19, 2024
Location: Washington
Contact:
Ariana Miller, Megan Jordan | email: amiller@oceana.org, mjordan@oceana.org | tel: Ariana Miller, 202.868.4061
Today, the Biden administration announced that it will phase out single-use plastics across the federal government by 2035 and from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027. This announcement follows a 2022 U.S. Department of the Interior Secretarial Order to phase out single-use plastics in national parks and other public lands and a recent General Services Administration rule on single-use plastic packaging in federal purchasing. Along with today’s announcement, the administration published a report on federal action on plastic pollution.
Following the announcement, Oceana’s Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt released the following statement:
“The plan for a plastic-free government is even more reason to celebrate this Plastic Free July. We applaud the Biden administration for committing to phase out single-use plastics. The U.S. government is the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, and its purchasing decisions can have a global impact. This positive step reduces U.S. reliance on single-use plastics, which harm our oceans, climate, and communities. We look forward to the successful and swift implementation of this effort to eliminate single-use plastics across the government and move to refillable and reusable products.”
Americans also support the reduction of plastic across the government; in 2023, a nationwide poll showed that 82% of American voters support reducing the federal government’s use of single-use plastic. In addition to threatening ocean wildlife and entering our food, air, water, and even our bodies, plastic greatly contributes to climate change and harms communities on the fenceline of plastic production plants.
Background
Plastic has been found in every corner of the world and has turned up in drinking water, beer, salt, honey, and more. It’s also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increased amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences.
A 2020 Oceana report revealed evidence of nearly 1,800 animals from 40 different species swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic in U.S. waters between 2009 and early 2020. Of those animals, a staggering 88% were from species listed as endangered or threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.
Less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled, yet the plastics industry continues to tout recycling as a panacea while pushing new plastic products onto the market. Companies need to dramatically reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic, provide plastic-free choices, and develop systems that refill and reuse packaging and foodware. Elected officials must enact policies to ensure they do so.
In February 2023, Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll that showed broad bipartisan concern about single-use plastics and support for reducing both the production and use of these products and increasing the use of reusable packaging and foodware. Included among the key findings:
- 83% of American voters are concerned about single-use plastic products
- 73% support a pause in building new plastic production facilities
- 82% support reducing the federal government’s use of single-use plastic
Polling was conducted by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos, which surveyed 1,000 American adults from across the U.S. in December 2022.
To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to stop plastic pollution, please visit usa.oceana.org/plastics.
