The Interior Department has already planned restrictions at national parks and on public lands.
President Biden’s administration is considering limits on single-use plastics in government purchases. The General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal government purchasing, said it could restrict such purchases.
Single-use plastics contribute significantly to the world’s waste. A report last year from a nonprofit group in Australia found that globally more than 130 million metric tons of plastics used a single time were thrown away in 2019. The GSA has asked the public for information on plastic consumed in packaging and shipping and other single-use plastics in agency contracts.
The agency said this information will be used to inform a future rule that sets up requirements and reporting mechanisms aimed at reducing “unnecessary” single use-plastic, including in packaging and shipping materials.
The United States is the world’s largest contributor of plastic waste, according to a 2021 congressionally mandated report. In a separate move, the Interior Department plans to phase out single-use plastics in national parks and on public lands by 2032.
Canada is banning the manufacture and importation of single-use plastics by the end of the year, including plastic grocery bags and beverage straws. Cutlery and food-service ware made from or containing plastics that are hard to recycle are also included, with a few exceptions for medical purposes.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the president and his administration as they seek ways to eliminate plastic waste.
- For U.S. Parks Service officials as they institute the restrictions on single-use plastics on public lands.
- For Administrator Robin Carnahan as she leads the General Services Administration.
Sources: The Hill, CNBC, NPR
