President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday announced plans to phase out single-use plastics at all federal businesses by 2035 as part of a broader effort to combat what it saw as a growing global crisis.
Since the US federal government is the world’s largest buyer of goods and services, the decision could have a significant impact on global markets, spurring industries to develop new products and reducing emissions associated with plastics production.
“Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, polluting our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near manufacturing facilities and threatening public health,” the administration said in a statement.
Under the new goal, the federal government will “eliminate federal supplies of single-use plastics from businesses, events and food packaging by 2027 and from all federal businesses by 2035.”
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The move comes after the Biden-Harris administration decided in 2022 to phase out single-use plastics in national parks and public lands.
According to the non-profit Oceana, about 33 billion pounds (15 million metric tons) of plastic enter the oceans each year, including single-use items such as bottles, packaging, takeout containers and bags.
“We applaud the Biden administration for committing to phase out single-use plastics,” said Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director.
The government also unveiled a new strategy, detailed in an 83-page document, to target plastic pollution at the production, processing, use and disposal stages.
A fifth and final round of negotiations on a global treaty to reduce plastic pollution is set to take place in Busan, South Korea in November.
The World Wildlife Fund has warned that unless governments reach an ambitious agreement with legally binding rules, global plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040.
Source: AFP