WASHINGTON, D.C. - Thursday, November 21, 2024 - The Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) applauds today’s release of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution and the EPA’s identification of a pathway to eliminate the release of plastic waste into the environment by 2040. We support the Strategy’s actions to combat climate change through greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with the lifecycle of plastic products and to reduce public health impacts to communities overburdened by pollution.

We thank the Biden-Harris administration and the EPA for recognizing the significant breadth and scale of the impact of plastic pollution on our communities, ocean and freshwater environments and wildlife, climate, and public health. 

Research shows that most Americans are concerned about plastic pollution and support national and international policies to address it. The United States generates more plastic waste than any other country in the world, per capita as well as by total mass. The actions described in this strategy represent the EPA’s commitment to address plastic pollution by:

• 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.

We wholeheartedly support the EPA strategy. It charts a path forward to tackle plastic pollution, and is a welcome step in the recent evolution of federal leadership to address plastic pollution and build toward a healthier future for all. Our aquariums and zoos stand ready to work with the EPA and others to implement the strategy and make strides to end plastic pollution.