Former Content Creator, Editorial & Creative Team, The Public Interest Network
Plastic waste will be less likely to spoil the view for visitors to our national parks under a Biden administration policy change.
On June 8, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued an order to phase out single-use plastic products from our country’s national parks and other public lands by 2032. The order will reduce — and slowly eliminate — single-use plastic and polystyrene foam products that contribute to the 70 million pounds of waste generated in national parks each year. PIRG and Environment America have called for this plastic ban, and over 20,000 of our supporters have urged the administration to act.
“We thank Secretary Haaland for setting an inspiring goal of eliminating plastic waste, but 2032 is too long to wait for plastic-free parks,” said Matt Casale, director of PIRG’s environment campaigns. “We urge the Biden administration to put our special places over plastic and move even faster on this excellent initiative.”
Photo: The single-use plastic phase-out will help preserve the beauty of places such as Utah’s Arches National Park. Credit: tusharkoley via Shutterstock