While there’s been plenty of news these days around the Biden-Harris Administration and politics, one incredibly noteworthy piece of news has buried in the news cycle – the move away from plastics use by the United States government.
The plastic pollution crisis affects oceans, air quality, and public health, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities and contributing to climate change.
To address this, the Biden-Harris Administration has released a strategy to address plastic pollution from production to disposal. The plan involves collaboration with state, local, Tribal, and Territorial governments, and the private sector.
For example, federal procurement of single-use plastics will be phased out by 2027 in food services and events, and by 2035 across all federal operations. In addition, efforts will include reducing emissions from plastic production and improving data collection on environmental and health risks.
The U.S. government’s initiative to tackle plastic products sends a strong message to both public and private sectors worldwide, as noted by Erin Simon, WWF Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste and Business in this op-ed in Waste Management Review.
Simon emphasized that as the world’s largest consumer, the U.S. has a significant role in reducing the use of problematic and unnecessary plastics. The Administration’s commitment to this issue will encourage other global governments to follow suit.
We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to tackling plastic pollution through a comprehensive, collaborative approach, leveraging federal action to protect health, spur sustainable markets, and lead international efforts.
In addition, we are in the last days of Plastic Free July! Now’s the time to support the “Planet vs Plastics” theme of Earth Day 2024.
Through select registrars, the .earth web domain is offering one-year registrations of standard .earth web domain names starting at under $10.00 USD through July 31st.
To learn more about the .earth web domain, visit Voices.Earth. In addition, many organizations and individuals are sharing their voices about the benefits of a .earth domain in our Voices.Earth podcast series.
