Biden wants government to stop buying soda bottles, other single-use plastics
The Peninsula
The Biden administration Friday announced a commitment to phase out single use plastics across the federal government, marking a significant step in t...
The Biden administration Friday announced a commitment to phase out single-use plastics across the federal government, marking a significant step in tackling the growing plastic pollution crisis.
As part of an expanded strategy to combat plastic pollution in the United States, the administration set a goal to phase out federal purchases "of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.”
The federal government is the largest buyer of consumer goods in the world, and this action could "significantly impact the supply” of these ubiquitous plastic products, according to an 83-page report detailing the administration’s plan. The administration also wants tougher regulations on plastics manufacturers, a source of greenhouse gas emissions. The report highlights that more than 90 percent of plastic is made from fossil fuels.
By leveraging the federal government’s purchasing power, the administration hopes its effort will help reduce air pollution, protect public health and shift markets toward more sustainable plastic alternatives.
"Tackling plastic pollution and its associated impacts will require unprecedented action at every stage of the plastic life cycle - from reining in the pollution from petrochemical production … to reorienting infrastructure to ensure dramatic increases in recycling and reuse,” wrote Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Ali Zaidi, White House national climate adviser, in a letter attached to the report.
