On October 19, 2020, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler outlined the Trump administration’s strategy for tackling plastic waste at an event in Boca Raton, Florida. Informing the numerous federal officials and others that attended on the gravity of the plastic pollution crisis, he said:
Internationally, up to 28 billion pounds of waste makes it into our oceans every year, harming marine life and coastal economies. Working together with our global partners, we aim to solve the current growing marine litter problem in our shared oceans.
He stressed that the problem is a top priority. The growing amount of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is unacceptable and must be dealt with. The focus will be placed on maritime cleanup efforts and expanding and improving recycling capacity.
Rep. Brian Mast said:
It’s scary to think about how much waste – especially plastic – is polluting our environment. Ocean plastics are destroying ecosystems, killing marine life, and littering our beaches. This is a problem that is only going to get worse until we come together to do something about it. Together with the help of the EPA and other agencies, I’m confident that we can get serious about removing pollution from our environment and preventing it from getting there in the first place. The health of our waterways depends on it.
The federal government has four pillars for tackling the issue of marine litter. The strategy highlights them. They are:
- Incentivizing the global recycling market
- Building capacity
- Promoting marine litter removal
- Promoting research and development
The plan also identifies federal programs already underway (like the EPA’s Trash Free Waters program) and existing US legal authorities.
Waste management authorities worldwide are struggling to handle the vast volumes of plastic from consumer packaging. The issue receives more attention every year as the problem persists and worsens. The majority of maritime litter comes from land-based sources in developing countries, where garbage is commonly left on the roadside and washes into rivers and oceans. The mismanagement of waste needs to be dealt with.
John Barsa, the Acting Administrator to the United States Agency for International Development, said:
The majority of the plastic pollution that enters the ocean comes from rapidly growing cities in the developing world that lack effective waste-management systems. As part of President Trump’s vision, the US Agency for International Development is working with local governments, communities, and the private sector in key countries to reduce ocean plastic pollution by strengthening systems to manage solid waste and promoting the ‘3Rs’ (reduce, reuse, recycle).
Recycling is also an issue. Less than 10% of plastic waste gets recycled in the US. To rectify this, the Trump administration has agreed to work with a group funded by the petrochemical industry to improve recycling rates called the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. It has also proposed giving EPA $7 million to address marine plastic waste, and the Department of Energy is encouraging companies to develop a solution by hosting a plastic innovation challenge.
Mark W. Menezes, Deputy Secretary of Energy, said:
Through our National Laboratories, our universities, and the American industry, this program will develop new technologies to keep plastics from entering the ocean, new methods to deconstruct existing plastic waste and upcycle it, and new plastics specifically designed to be recycled. While the U.S. is not the world’s driver of the marine plastic problem, we intend to drive the solution.
Meanwhile, companies such as Chevron Phillips Chemical and LyondellBasell have launched initiatives to reduce plastic and invested in chemical recycling that reverts plastics to their chemical components. The advanced technology makes it possible to use old plastics to make new plastics.
The oceans contain vital resources, including food and medicine, and affect economic sectors such as fishing and tourism. We all need the marine ecosystem to thrive, so the protection of the oceans is a global problem and a top priority to the EPA.
If you’re interested in reading the full strategy, click here.
The post The EPA Marks Marine Plastic Pollution As A Top Priority appeared first on Intelligent Living.
