The Interior Department said on Wednesday it will phase out the sale of single-use plastic products in national parks and other public lands by 2032 in an effort to mitigate a major contributor to plastic pollution.
An order was issued by the interior secretary to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging on more than 480 million acres of public lands.
The measure would reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean.
Some national parks banned the sale of plastic water bottles in 2011. The Trump administration rolled back the ban six years after it was put in place.
The US is a major producer of plastic waste. The country's recycling rate fell to between 5% and 6% last year as some countries stopped taking U.S. waste exports and waste levels reached new highs.
The Interior produced over 80,000 tons of municipal solid waste.
Haaland said that the Interior Department has an obligation to reduce the impact of plastic waste on our environment.
The Department's sustainable plans will include bold action on phasing out single-use plastic products as we seek to protect our natural environment and the communities around them, as a result of today's order.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
