The Biden-Harris administration announced plans to phase out the use of single-use plastics from all federal operations by 2035, as part of its strategy to deal with plastic pollution. While this falls short of Vice-President Harris’s pledge to ban all single use plastics, it indicates she is serious about moving in that direction. The phase-out would start with a goal to end federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027. It would cover outlets ranging from refreshment stands in federal parks to the massive feeding operations of the armed forces. The new goal would be met by selecting reusable, compostable, and highly recyclable products in lieu of single-use plastics in food service. The move comes after the Biden-Harris administration’s 2022 decision to phase out single-use plastics in national parks and public land. The Biden-Harris administration also unveiled a new strategy, detailed in an 83-page document, targeting plastic pollution at the stages of production, processing, use, and disposal.
According to the White House, the new procurement policies are the latest effort aimed at addressing plastic pollution that has included several policies to tackle fossil-fuel intensive polymer production, recycling and removing plastic that has washed up in oceans. The Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency has issued rules to limit emissions from the production of chemicals used to make plastic, and plans to spend $275 million to improve recycling infrastructure. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has also issued Secretary’s Order 3407 to reduce single-use plastic products and packaging within the Department of the Interior, aiming for a phase-out by 2032. To promote this effort, the interior department is installing more water bottle filling stations on public lands and working with concessionaires to reduce single-use plastics. Vice President Kamala Harris has called for the banning of plastic straws.
Limiting plastics production and use is consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration’s opposition to oil and gas, from which plastics are made. The Administration has taken over 225 actions designed to make it more difficult or impossible to create more oil and gas. Since plastics are a building block of modern economies, focusing on plastic waste which is visible but for which the United States and other advanced countries are not primarily responsible would assist the Biden-Harris Administration in its stated goal to “end fossil fuels.”
The White house announcement comes ahead of the last scheduled round of negotiations toward a global treaty to end plastic pollution set to start in Busan, Korea on November 25. Countries are divided on whether the deal should include caps on plastic production. Under the Biden-Harris policy, the United States supports a goal to end plastic pollution by 2040 in the treaty, but it wants countries to set their own plans for doing so instead of setting global targets and goals, and to detail those plans in pledges sent regularly to the United Nations. The World Wildlife Fund has warned that unless governments reach an ambitious agreement with legally binding rules, global plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040. According to data from the United Nations (UN) Environment Program, at least 460 million metric tons of plastic are produced every year, equivalent to the weight of more than 300,000 blue whales. As the material breaks down, it creates microplastics — tiny particles smaller than five millimeters.
According to the White House fact sheet, plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades. Some environmental groups have indicated that given the purchasing power of the U.S. government, the move to phase-out single-use plastics in favor of reusable or compostable products would be significant. “The U.S. government is the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, and its purchasing decisions can have a global impact,” said Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt at Oceana. It is likely that providers of compostable or recyclable packaging would benefit from the economies of scale, theoretically bringing down the cost of such items, although this is conjecture. According to Oceana, some 33 billion pounds (15 million metric tons) of plastic enter the oceans every year, including single-use items like bottles, packaging, takeout containers and bags. The Biden-Harris administration has earmarked $70 million for removing plastic debris from U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes. The United States, however, is responsible for a very small portion of global ocean plastics pollution. Studies have shown most plastics end up in the ocean from developing nations around the world who are still poor and have little recycling capability.
Restaurants’ Pilot Initiatives
The restaurant industry is also exploring ways of easing its reliance on single-use restaurant containers. Starbucks, KFC, Dunkin’ and Peet’s Coffee recently announced plans to pilot a reusable cups program in the city of Petaluma, California. Thirty restaurants will participate in a program where consumers will be provided free of charge with reusable cups. Once a cup is used, a patron leaves it at one of 60 reuse bins for sterilization and takes a fresh cup. The container can be used at any of the participating restaurants. Similar programs are in use in some markets outside of the United States. Starbucks has also initiated a program where domestic consumers use their own cups. U.S. consumers use about 50 billion single-use cups per year, most of them from restaurants, according to the anti-litter group Center for the Circular Economy.
The Plastics Production Boom
The plastics industry experienced significant growth as the 20th century progressed. Innovations in plastic production yielded new plastic materials, such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polystyrene—each with their own set of unique properties and uses. This era of industrial production saw plastics become deeply integrated into the fabric of modern society. Plastics had qualities that made them appealing—durability, versatility, and low cost. And abundant fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas, powered the explosion of plastic production.
Diverse Applications of Plastics
Due to their appealing qualities, plastics found their way into virtually every aspect of daily life. From the automotive industry to medical devices, plastics demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and fulfill a diverse range of needs. The material’s lightweight and easily shaped properties made it a staple in consumer products, commercial applications, construction, packaging, electronics, transportation and many other uses. An example of its versatility is polypropylene, a type of plastic found in products such as packaging and automotive parts. Celluloid, for example, provided a more ethical option for denture plates, sparing the use of human teeth, and revolutionized photography by replacing glass plates with flexible film. Single-use surgical gloves, syringes, insulin pens, IV tubes, and catheters have reduced the risk of patient infection and helped streamline operations by lifting the burden of sterilization.
Many state and local officials have bans on single-use plastic bags forcing shoppers to purchase reusable bags, often laden with viruses since many shoppers do not wash them frequently. During the coronavirus pandemic, many states and localities abandoned the ban on single-use plastic bags. Further, it was found that reuseable bags were more carbon intensive than single use bags and created more waste. And of course, any reuse of products exposed to food products increases the risk of contamination by rodents and insects searching for food.
Conclusion
The Biden-Harris administration announced plans to phase out the use of single-use plastics from all federal operations by 2035, starting with a goal to end federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027. This announcement was a precursor to an international treaty with the next meeting scheduled for November. The plastics boom came in the 20th century spurred by cheap and abundant fossil fuels and was found to have diverse uses. Single-use plastics not only aid food preservation but have numerous medical uses and have reduced the risk of patient infection. With their versatility and many uses, it would be beneficial for states and countries, instead of banning these products, to figure out a better way to dispose of them or recycle them.
*This article was adapted from content originally published by the Institute for Energy Research.
