U.S. to ban single-use plastics on public lands by 2032
Last June 8, World Oceans Day, the United States issued an order to phase out single-use plastic products on territories managed by the Department of the Interior by 2032.
This order will include the sale and distribution of plastic bags and bottles, as well as food wrappers, beverage cups and other tableware, according to an order by Deb Haaland, the interior secretary.
“As the steward of the nation’s public lands, including national parks and national wildlife refuges, and as the agency responsible for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats, we are uniquely positioned to do better for our Earth,” said Haaland.
The order will cover the nation’s 423 national parks, wildlife refuges, and other lands and waters managed by the interior department—in total 20 percent of the United States’ land, which hosts around 400 million visitors annually.
The U.S. National Parks Service (NPS) manages an average of nearly 70 million pounds of waste annually. Plastic comprises half of Yellowstone National Park’s waste. States like Oregon, Washington, Colorado among others have already banned polystyrene cups and containers and plastic bags.
As of late last 2021, several large national parks have already moved toward using reusable tableware and refillable water stations at their eating areas. In a survey, four out of five visitors said that they would support banning single-use plastic bottles in parks.
Government departments have one year to develop plans to switch to plastic alternatives, such as biodegradable and compostable materials, and then have until 2032 to complete the transition.
Aside from the national parks and public lands, the U.S. government hopes that other cities, counties and states around the country will move towards reusable and refillable systems.
Source: US’ Plan To Ban Single-Use Plastics On Public Lands By 2032, https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-plan-to-ban-single-use-plastics-on-public-lands-by-2032-3050846
