According to the World Wildlife Fund, plastic pollution will triple by 2040 if governments fail to come together and establish an agreement with legally binding regulations. Considering this Biden-Harris administration introduced new guidelines aiming for less plastic purchases in US federal operations.
On Friday, President Joe Biden’s administration made announcements to phase out single-use plastics in all federal operations by 2035. This is aimed at combating the global plastic crisis. The new strategy outlines in a document of 83 pages how to address plastic pollution throughout the production, processing, use, and disposal stages.
Globally, the US federal government is the biggest buyer of goods and services. This decision can greatly affect global markets by encouraging industries to create new products. This will reduce emissions linked to plastic manufacturing.
The administration said in a statement, “Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health.”
Earlier Biden Administration Targets Power Plants to Cut Carbon Emissions
Under the new goal, the federal procurement of single-use plastic will phase out. Food service operations, packaging, and events aims to stop using single-use plastic by 2027. Moreover, the administration aims to completely remove plastic from all operations by 2035.
Earlier the administration released the guidelines to phase out plastic in public lands and national parks in 2022. It was a commendable step.
Source: Biden-Harris Administration Releases New Strategy to Tackle Plastic Pollution
