Ground-Breaking Federal Legislation Tackles the Root of the Plastic Pollution Crisis
Today, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) introduced the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act – the first comprehensive bill in Congress to address the plastic pollution crisis. Drawing on stakeholder input from over 200 individuals, environmental groups, businesses, trade associations, aquariums, academics, grassroots organizations and state and local governments, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act reduces unnecessary plastic and reforms our broken waste management system.
Globally, the plastics industry produces over 335 million tons of plastic each year – and this volume is continuing to increase. By 2050, global plastic production is projected to triple and will account for 20 percent of all oil consumption. But nearly two-thirds of plastic produced becomes waste. The materials in Americans’ blue bins are often landfilled, incinerated, or shipped overseas to countries that are unable to manage the burden of additional trash. What were once pristine agricultural communities in southeast Asia are now toxic dumpsites due to imported waste from wealthier nations like the United States. Plastic waste finds its way into our water, soil, and air where it breaks down into microplastics that contaminate food and drinking water, consequently posing a risk to human health.
5 Gyres is supportive of the bill (learn what other supporters are saying) as it addresses the root cause of the plastic pollution crisis. Communities who live on the fence-line of the neighboring petrochemical facilities, in particular, face the brunt of toxic air emissions resulting in negative health impacts. In the United States, state and local governments are implementing policies to reduce unnecessary plastic products and shift the huge financial responsibility to producers for managing our waste. The Break Free From Plastic movement is calling for federal leadership to build on this momentum.
ABOUT BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC
Break Free From Plastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in September 2016, nearly 1,800 organizations from across the world have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. These organizations share the common values of environmental protection and social justice, which guide their work at the community level and represent a global, unified vision.
Senator Udall (D-NM), joint author of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act 2020:
“Plastic pollution is a crisis that affects our communities, our waterways, and even our bodies,” Udall said. “Our children are already bearing the cleanup costs of mountains of plastic waste – we have a responsibility to act now to address this problem before future generations are burdened with the overwhelming health and social effects of plastic pollution. Our solutions are not only possible, they are practical and are already being implemented in cities and states across the country, including in my home state of New Mexico. But we need a comprehensive, national strategy to tackle this tidal wave of pollution before it is too late—and drive the innovation necessary to break free from this unnecessary, toxic waste stream that also contributes to climate change. This bill calls on all of us, from companies to communities, to address this crisis head-on so that we can secure a plastic pollution free world.”
Representative Lowenthal (D-CA), joint author of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act 2020:
“Plastic pollution has reached crisis levels globally and for too long we have ignored the issue here in the United States. It is irresponsible for us to ignore this crisis which is choking our waterways and wildlife and impacting our environment and public health. The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act will tackle the plastic pollution crisis by using proven best practices around the world as well as incorporate important efforts used by State and local governments here in the United Sates. My legislation, introduced in the Senate by Senator Udall, strips the failing systems currently in place and lifts the financial burden of managing and cleaning up these products away from the municipalities and taxpayers alone and puts the onus on the manufactures and companies who sell the products. Our comprehensive and holistic legislation will create a more robust domestic recycling infrastructure, reduce our dependence on single-use plastics, and more meaningfully protect our communities from the negative impact of these products.”