White House Unveils New Plastics Plan: Guide 2024

On July 19, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration took a big step in the fight against plastic pollution. “Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities” (Plastic plan) is a new plan published by the Interagency Policy Committee on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy (IPC). For the first time, the federal government is officially acknowledging the seriousness of the plastic pollution crisis and the need for a large-scale response.

The Plastic Strategy describes ongoing and upcoming federal initiatives to address plastic pollution at every stage of the plastics life cycle, from raw material extraction to trash disposal. The goal is to phase out the use of single-use plastics in food service, events, and packaging by 2027 and completely by 2035. It places a strong emphasis on doing away with single-use plastics in federal operations and the national supply chain.

The strategy focuses on three main areas:

1. Progress: Highlighting efforts to combat plastic pollution, including reducing pollution from plastic production, promoting environmental justice, cleaning up marine debris, investing in infrastructure, boosting the clean energy industry, and enforcing the Reduction of Single-Use Plastic Packaging Rule.
2. Principles: Applying the best available science, fostering meaningful collaborations, working with Tribal Nations, promoting environmental justice, and fortifying interagency coordination to steer government activities.
3. Priorities: Taking care of plastic pollution at every stage of its life cycle, from waste generation and management to product design and production.

The White House’s Plastic Strategy is not available for public comment, in contrast to earlier plans like the EPA’s Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. Rather, it sets forth steps that will be carried out by federal agencies and then open to public comment.

International cooperation is another important point made by the Plastic Strategy. It promotes continued and enhanced collaboration with international partners. According to the plan, the United States should ratify the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which has been amended to include rules governing the export of plastic garbage. However, it does not mention U.S. participation in the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for a treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040.

The Plastic Strategy’s definition of single-use plastics, as well as its goals, guiding principles, and progress, are explained in this Holland & Knight synopsis.

Single-Use Plastic

For anyone trying to keep up with all the different regulations about plastics, a big question is: what exactly counts as single-use plastic?

Many states and localities in the United States have outlawed plastic straws and bags. States like Colorado, California, Maine, Maryland, and Oregon have Extended Producer Responsibility rules focusing on single-use packaging, which includes plastic and other materials. Order No. 3407 was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior on June 8, 2022, with the aim of decreasing the usage of single-use plastic goods on more than 480 million acres of public forest. They aim to find more sustainable alternatives, like compostable or biodegradable materials, by 2032. According to this directive, single-use plastic products include straws, cups, cutlery, bottles, throwaway plastic bags, and food and drink containers made of plastic or polystyrene that are intended to be thrown away immediately after use.

Targeting the top ten products frequently discovered in plastic pollution cleanups, the European Union (EU) has also outlawed single-use plastics. Their list includes cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, balloons and sticks for balloons, food containers, cups for beverages, beverage containers, cigarette butts, plastic bags, packets and wrappers, and wet wipes and sanitary items.

The U.S. Plastic Strategy doesn’t specifically define single-use plastics but uses the definition from the U.S. The final rule from the General Services Administration (GSA) went into effect on July 8, 2024. According to this rule, single-use plastics are:

“…any plastic that a producer uses to hold, handle, protect, distribute, or display items to a consumer; usually not filled or reused by the manufacturer, and meant to be used only once before being thrown away, recycled, or disposed of right away once its contents are utilized or unpackaged. Brand packaging, group packaging, transportation packaging, auxiliary packaging, and redundant packaging are examples of packaging.”

A few similar terms are also defined under the GSA rule. The definition of plastic, for instance, states that it is a “synthetic or semi-synthetic material chemically synthesized by the polymerization of organic substances that can be shaped into various stiff and flexible forms, such as coatings and adhesives,” but excludes naturally occurring polymers like proteins or starches as well as natural rubber.

Progress

The Plastic Strategy’s “Progress” section outlines the IPC’s past accomplishments as well as their future goals. It demonstrates a history of accomplishments and links them to important directives such as Executive Orders 14057, 14096, and 14008, which uphold the Federal Sustainability Plan and the Justice40 environmental justice effort. These directives demonstrate a commitment to combating plastic pollution and support the plan.

• Addressing Pollution and Advancing Environmental Justice: This part explains how new rules from the EPA are targeting chemicals used in making plastics. The plan seeks to mitigate plastic pollution and safeguard populations from detrimental exposures by restricting these chemicals.
• Boosting Clean Energy and Jobs: Here, the focus is on Executive Order 14057, which promotes clean energy and sustainability. By 2027 and 2035, respectively, it establishes a deadline for the federal government to cease using single-use plastics in food service and packaging. This move is expected to reduce plastic demand significantly.
• Cutting Down on Single-Use Plastic Packaging: Ongoing initiatives to reduce the use of single-use plastics in federal activities are discussed in this section. For example, Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland’s Order 3407 aims to phase out single-use plastics by 2032. The U.S. Department of Defense is also working to eliminate plastic bags. The goal of eliminating single-use plastics by 2035 includes these steps as part of a bigger plan.
• Investing in Infrastructure: This part talks about improving waste management infrastructure through the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. This law requires the EPA to develop a National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution and promotes recycling initiatives. It also emphasizes the importance of collaboration with various stakeholders to enhance waste management both nationally and internationally.
• Cleaning Up Marine Debris: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been leading efforts to clean up marine debris, using $70 million in federal funds. Through the USAID-sponsored Save Our Seas Initiative, the United States is also actively engaged in global cleanup, demonstrating how collaborations with the private sector may optimize the results of government initiatives.

Also Read: Top 4 Sustainable Packaging Trends for 2024

Principles

The “Principles” section of the Plastic Strategy pulls together lessons learned from past efforts and current Biden-Harris Administration policies to set out key guidelines for future action.

1. Build Strong Partnerships: The strategy highlights that tackling plastic pollution will be most effective when everyone works together. It stresses the importance of involving all levels of government and stakeholders to find and implement solutions.
2. Advance Environmental Justice: The strategy acknowledges that plastic pollution is a significant environmental justice issue. It commits to addressing this issue while promoting fairness and equity in the fight against plastic pollution.
3. Respect Tribal Nations and Use Indigenous Knowledge: The strategy emphasizes honoring federal obligations to Tribal Nations and incorporating indigenous knowledge. It’s about engaging with these communities and valuing their insights as they choose to share them.
4. Use the Best Science Available: The strategy ensures that the actions taken are based on solid scientific evidence. It calls for ongoing research to fill knowledge gaps, improve decision-making, and adapt plans based on new data.
5. Boost Federal Coordination: The plan acknowledges that a variety of federal initiatives, including rulemaking, grants, and procurement, can have an impact on the pollution caused by plastics. It calls for better coordination among federal agencies through the IPC to align efforts and maximize effectiveness.

Priorities

The “Priorities” section of the Plastic Strategy outlines the key actions planned to tackle plastic pollution. It breaks down these actions based on where they fit into the plastic lifecycle, creating both upstream and downstream solutions that build on each other.

Reducing Pollution from Plastic Production: This section concentrates on “upstream” measures to reduce plastic pollution at the source. This involves establishing rules for the ingredients, processes, and chemicals used in the production of plastic.It also involves gathering data to ensure these regulations are effective. This allows the sector to exchange best practices and avoid draconian regulations that could hinder the development of plastics altogether. Specific actions include:

• Updating rules and policies under laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act to better control plastic pollution.
• assembling and evaluating data on plastic pollution and mitigation strategies using federal resources.

Innovating Materials and Product Design: This section aims to improve how plastics are designed and made so they work better with waste management systems and have less impact on health and the environment. In order to encourage recycling and the usage of circular plastics, it entails creating new materials and design guidelines. Specific actions include:

• Supporting research and development for products that can be reused or recycled more easily.
• promoting the adoption of global guidelines for the design, labeling, and recycling of plastic products.

Reducing the Production of Plastic trash: The goal of this category is to use government purchasing power to cut down on plastic trash. Among the actions are:

• estimating the amount of plastic the federal government consumes and, if practical, locating substitutes.
• Developing strategies to cut down on plastic use and update procurement policies.
• Promoting innovative ways to reuse, refill, and repair materials.
• launching a campaign to raise public awareness about the problems caused by plastic pollution and possible solutions.

Improving Waste Management: This section addresses the need to update waste management systems to handle new plastic innovations. Actions include:

• Creating recommendations for a national system that helps states and local governments manage plastic waste effectively.
• Investing in technologies and infrastructure for collecting, recycling, and disposing of plastic waste.
• Tracking how plastic pollution enters and stays in the environment.
• Improving U.S. procedures for exporting plastic garbage that keep it from contaminating the environment.
• Supporting the U.S. ratification of the Basel Convention on hazardous waste.

Capturing and Removing Existing Plastic Pollution: The final stage focuses on cleaning up plastic pollution already present in the environment. Actions include:

• Developing methods to collect and analyze microplastics and nanoplastics.
• Supporting efforts to remove marine debris and derelict fishing gear.
• Sharing best practices and technologies for trash removal and interception.