Bronte Wells
Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue, with plastic waste affecting every corner of the planet, from Antarctica to the Himalayas. In recognition of this, the US government has implemented various strategies to combat plastic pollution. Notably, the Biden-Harris administration has released a draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, which aims to reduce, reuse, recycle, and capture plastic waste. The US State Department has also launched initiatives such as EPPIC, which provides grants to local communities and organizations in Latin America and Africa to combat plastic pollution. Additionally, the US has participated in negotiations for a global agreement on plastic pollution and supported pilot projects focused on solid waste management in developing countries. However, recent talks for a global treaty on plastic pollution have collapsed due to disagreements over limiting plastic manufacturing.
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What You'll Learn
- The US government's 'National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution'
- The US Department of State's End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC)
- The US Agency for International Development's (USAID) Innovations for Reducing Plastics for a Cleaner Environment in India (inREPLACE)
- The US Plastics Pact
- The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act
The US government's 'National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution'
Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue that affects the environment, biodiversity, health, food security, maritime transportation, tourism, economic stability, resource management, and human health. The United States, recognizing the severity of this issue, has undertaken several initiatives to combat plastic pollution and protect the planet for future generations. One of the key strategies is the "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution," which outlines a comprehensive approach to address this challenge.
The "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution" is a collaborative effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various U.S. organizations, aiming to prevent plastic pollution and promote a circular economy. This strategy identifies six main objectives:
- Reduce Pollution from Plastic Production: This involves minimizing the negative impact of plastic manufacturing on the environment and human health, including reducing cancer-causing pollutants.
- Innovate Material and Product Design: The strategy encourages the design and use of plastic products that are easily reusable, refillable, and recyclable, reducing the demand for certain plastic products.
- Decrease Waste Generation: By producing fewer single-use, unrecyclable, and frequently littered plastic products, the strategy aims to decrease the overall generation of plastic waste.
- Improve Waste Management: This includes improving solid waste collection and ensuring that waste management practices do not adversely affect communities.
- Improve Capture and Removal of Plastic Pollution: Capturing and removing plastic pollution from the environment, particularly from waterways and oceans, is a key focus.
- Minimize Loadings and Impacts on Waterways and the Ocean: The strategy aims to reduce the amount of plastic and other pollutants discharged into waterways and oceans.
The strategy also emphasizes the importance of working with various stakeholders, including federal, tribal, state, local, and territorial governments, as well as industry and trade organizations, to address plastic pollution throughout the lifecycle of plastic products. Additionally, the EPA has launched initiatives like the Trash Free Waters Program and set enforceable wastewater standards to further reduce plastic pollution.
The United States has also engaged in international cooperation to address plastic pollution. The State Department has worked with the United Nations to launch negotiations for a global agreement, recognizing that plastic pollution transcends political boundaries. The U.S. has also supported capacity-building in developing countries and small island states to combat plastic pollution and improve waste management practices.
In conclusion, the "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution" represents a comprehensive and collaborative approach by the U.S. government to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution. By working with various stakeholders and implementing targeted objectives, the strategy aims to reduce, reuse, recycle, and capture plastic waste, protecting the environment, human health, and the planet for future generations.
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The US Department of State's End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC)
EPPIC aims to drive collective action to reduce plastic pollution by engaging with governments, NGOs, businesses, civil society, philanthropies, and other stakeholders. It seeks to utilise scientific research and stakeholder engagement to inform policy and promote innovative solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. EPPIC transcends national boundaries, recognising that plastic pollution impacts the natural world, biodiversity, the environment, health, food security, and economies.
One of EPPIC's key initiatives is the development and launch of a plastics innovation prize competition, offering a tentative prize purse of $1-2 million. This competition aims to promote global efforts to advance plastic circularity by targeting innovations in the upstream and midstream plastic value chain. EPPIC has also launched a targeted grant program in Latin America and Africa, empowering local communities and organisations to combat plastic pollution through various solutions.
EPPIC complements and builds on existing initiatives, such as USAID's Save Our Seas Initiative and Clean Cities Blue Ocean, by amplifying actions and securing commitments from governments, corporations, and stakeholders. It also supports the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs' (OES) mission to lead US diplomacy in conserving and protecting the global environment, oceans, and space for the prosperity and security of current and future generations.
Through EPPIC, the US Department of State is taking a proactive approach to address plastic pollution, engaging in international cooperation, and driving innovative solutions to tackle this pressing global issue.
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The US Agency for International Development's (USAID) Innovations for Reducing Plastics for a Cleaner Environment in India (inREPLACE)
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched Innovations for Reducing Plastics for a Cleaner Environment in India (inREPLACE), a groundbreaking initiative in partnership with the Indian government. With an initial investment of $11.25 million, inREPLACE is the largest country-specific effort under the US Save Our Seas Initiative, which operates in over 30 cities across more than 10 countries.
InREPLACE aims to reduce plastic waste by working with local governments to improve solid waste management policies, planning, infrastructure, and services. This includes helping to create and implement plastic reduction action plans. The program also focuses on finding better ways to deal with plastic by encouraging new ideas to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle plastic.
InREPLACE is being implemented across various regions in India, including coastal cities, riverine areas, and islands, where the impact of plastic pollution is most significant. The program enhances waste management policies, infrastructure, and services, while also promoting innovations that address the lifecycle impact of plastics.
One of the key objectives of inREPLACE is to partner with the private sector to invest in recycling and plastic-alternative innovations. This includes supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses across the plastics value chain in India and other Asian countries through the CIRCLE Alliance (Catalyzing Inclusive, Resilient, and Circular Local Economies). The CIRCLE Alliance was launched with an initial investment of $21 million.
Through inREPLACE, USAID intends to award a total of $30 million in funding over a five-year period to qualified entities implementing the program. This funding is aimed at reducing plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, through improvements in solid waste management and advancing a plastics circular economy in selected regions of India.
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The US Plastics Pact
The members of the US Plastics Pact have outlined several goals to be achieved by 2025:
- Define a list of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025.
- Ensure 100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
- Undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging by 2025.
- Achieve an average of at least 30% recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging by 2025.
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The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act
Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue, with an estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. In recognition of this, the United States has implemented various measures to combat plastic pollution and marine debris, including the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act.
The act also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the EPA and other entities, including non-governmental organizations, governments, and tribes, to effectively address plastic pollution. This collaborative approach extends beyond the EPA's authority, recognizing the impact of plastic production, manufacture, and transportation on communities. The act further supports a circular economy for plastics, encouraging the reuse, recycling, and recovery of plastic resources.
In addition to the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, the United States has taken other initiatives to tackle plastic pollution. The EPA's National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution and National Recycling Strategy outline collaborative efforts with U.S. organizations to prevent plastic pollution and promote circular approaches to plastic management. The Biden-Harris Administration has also demonstrated a commitment to reducing plastic pollution, with the establishment of the White House Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy.
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