The EPA Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) released the draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (EPA 530-R-23-006) (Draft Strategy) on April 21, 2023. The release of the Draft Strategy accompanied the announcement of a White House Interagency Policy Committee on Plastic Pollution and Circular Economy. The new committee will “coordinate federal efforts related to plastic pollution and related environmental justice and equity initiatives,” according to a White House fact sheet.
The Draft Strategy
The Draft Strategy features three key objectives to address the production, consumption and end-of-life stages of plastic products (Objectives):
- Objective A: Reduce pollution during plastic production
- Objective B: Improve post-use materials management
- Objective C: Prevent trash and micro- and nano-plastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment
Within these Objectives, the Draft Strategy identifies voluntary actions that can be implemented in the U.S. with the goal of eliminating the release of plastic waste from land-based sources into the environment by 2040. According to the EPA, the proposed actions under each objective “support the [nation’s] shift to a circular approach that is restorative or regenerative by design, enables resources to maintain their highest value for as long as possible, and aims to eliminate waste in the management of plastic products.”
The Draft Strategy is not limited to the EPA’s authority or jurisdiction, and could be implemented in coordination with other entities such as municipal governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. Examples of actions promoted in the Draft Strategy include:
- improve the design of plastic products to provide more reuse and refill opportunities
- increase solid waste collection and ensure that solid waste management does not adversely impact communities
- produce fewer single-use, unrecyclable and frequently littered plastic products, and reduce pollution from plastic production facilities
- increase public awareness of ways to reduce plastic and other trash in waterways