he United States Environmental Protection Agency released the “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution”. It outlines opportunities for action to protect communities from the impacts of plastic production and waste and detailing how government agencies, businesses, non-profits, and communities can take additional action to prevent plastic pollution.
This strategy also aligns with the United States’ commitment to negotiating an ambitious international agreement with the aim of protecting public health and the environment by reducing plastic pollution around the world.
Third Pillar of Circular Economy Effort
The strategy is the third pillar of EPA’s “Building a Circular Economy for All” effort, following national strategies on recycling and reducing food loss and waste.
“EPA’s new strategy to prevent plastic pollution will have a profound impact on public health and our environment, especially in overburdened communities hit hardest,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
“From reducing cancer-causing pollution from plastic manufacturing facilities, to increasing industry’s accountability to take back recycled plastic packaging, to capturing waste before it ends up in our bodies and the environment, this strategy lays out the path forward for EPA and our partners to tackle this persistent challenge.”
“As a city that has been leading the way on reducing plastic pollution, we are encouraged by the EPA’s efforts to eliminate plastic waste,” said Pittsburgh mayor Ed Gainey.
“We are proud of our plastic bag ban that unanimously passed in 2022. So many of these bags were used just once, rarely recycled properly, littered our streets, sidewalks and rivers and negatively impacted the health of our residents. We look forward to continuing to find new and innovative strategies to ensure that Pittsburgh is clean and pollution-free for generations to come. Plastics have many uses but also create a huge impact on our environment,” said Rhode Island Department of Environmental management director Terry Gray.
“The National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution’ presents an excellent road map to prevent these types of pollution by creating circular economies, returning these materials to supply chains for recycling and reuse. We recognize and appreciate the leadership by EPA in developing and finalizing this strategy, considering comments and feedback from thousands of stakeholders. It will have big benefits to our environment as we move forward to implementation.”
Strategy Actions
Example actions from the strategy include:
- Reducing the production and consumption of single-use plastic products and increasing the U.S. capacity to reuse and refill products, including in the federal government.
- Measuring the environmental and human health impacts throughout the lifecycle of single-use products.
- Enhancing public policies and incentives to decrease plastic pollution, including working with others to create a national extended producer responsibility framework.
These actions are in addition to steps that are already underway to reduce plastic waste:
- EPA’s Trash Free Waters Program will strengthen its emphasis on preventing trash from entering the environment, removing trash in and around waterways, and disseminating research findings.
- EPA set enforceable wastewater standards for industry and has developed national water quality criteria recommendations for pollutants in surface waters. In 2024, EPA finalized new requirements for facilities to develop and submit response plans for worst-case discharges of hazardous substances under the Clean Water Act, including many chemicals used in plastic manufacturing.
- EPA finalized rules in 2024 to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants including ethylene oxide and chloroprene, which will result in significant reductions in harmful air pollution in local communities near plastic production facilities, including communities with environmental justice concerns.
- EPA’s Risk Management Program rule sets requirements to protect vulnerable communities from chemical accidents, especially those living near facilities in industry sectors with high accident rates, including certain plastic manufacturing facilities. In the spring of 2024, EPA finalized the Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule.
- EPA’s Environmental Justice Grants and Technical Assistance Program offers a variety of funding opportunities for projects that focus on plastic pollution reduction.
- In addition, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided EPA with funding to support implementing this strategy through the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling and Recycling Education and Outreach grant programs. This includes funding for improvements to reuse and recycling infrastructure, for education and outreach, and for waste reduction plans.
- EPA launched a new platform containing the initial actions EPA is taking to implement our series of strategies on “Building a Circular Economy for All.”
Issued at INC-5
EPA is issuing this national strategy as the international community gathers in Busan, South Korea, for the final meeting of the International Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The strategy will help inform the international community of the wide range of actions available and already taken in the United States.
Incorporates Public Feedback
In the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020, Congress charged EPA with developing a strategy to reduce plastic waste and other post-consumer materials in waterways and oceans. EPA published the draft strategy in April of 2023 and received nearly 92,000 comments during the public comment period.
This updated strategy incorporates the feedback received. It reaffirms the EPA’s commitment to eliminating plastic waste release into the environment by 2040. The strategy outlines opportunities for action aimed at combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to the lifecycle of plastic products. It also seeks to minimize public health impacts on communities overburdened by pollution.
This updated strategy incorporates the feedback received. It reaffirms the EPA’s commitment to eliminating plastic waste release into the environment by 2040. The strategy outlines opportunities for action aimed at combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to the lifecycle of plastic products. It also seeks to minimize public health impacts on communities overburdened by pollution.
The EPA collaborated with various stakeholders, including industry and trade organizations, national and community-based non-profits, government agencies, Tribes, and private individuals. Together, they identified objectives and actions to tackle environmental and human health concerns. These efforts focus on eliminating the release of plastic into the U.S. environment. Additionally, they aim to reduce exposure to plastic pollution.
Tackling Plastic Pollution with Federal Action
The “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution” follows the “National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.” It builds on EPA’s “National Recycling Strategy” by identifying actions to reduce and recover plastic and other materials. It also aims to prevent plastic pollution from harming human health and the environment.
These actions support a circular economy approach to managing plastic products. This approach is regenerative by design, ensuring resources retain their value for as long as possible. The strategy aligns with the White House’s 2024 report, Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities. This report outlines a plan for federal action.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projects that, without intervention, global plastic use and waste will nearly triple by 2060. Most plastic products are not reused or recycled. Many end up incinerated, disposed of in landfills, or leaked into the environment, harming human health and ecosystems.
Plastic products also contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Significant human health concerns are linked to plastic pollution throughout the lifecycle of plastic products. These concerns disproportionately affect fence-line communities, which are often low-income and communities of color. These communities are located near plastic, chemical, and petrochemical processing facilities.
Negative Impacts of Plastics on Human Health
Micro- and nanoplastics have been found in many parts of the human body. Studies show they can negatively impact fertility and reproductive health. They may also increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death. Some micro- and nanoplastics are believed to contribute to colorectal cancer progression.
Additionally, some studies raise concerns about chemicals that leach out of plastic products. These chemicals may disrupt endocrine functions and could cross the blood-brain barrier. Concerns about micro- and nanoplastics’ potential threats to children’s health are growing.
Microplastics have been found in human placentas, even after a plastic-free birthing protocol. They have also been detected in human breastmilk.