In February 2021, the movement Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) released a report that recommends 13 key actions worth $1.3 billion in annual US federal funding to be prioritized by the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress in future stimulus regulation, infrastructure bills, and climate change legislation. In the presented report, the BFFP movement, compromising more than 250 groups, offers recommendations on how federal investments could further aid in solving the issue. It proposes, among others, investments in research on the impact of plastics on human health, substantial investments in multi re-use facility infrastructure, educational and governmental institutions to shift to reusable products, as well as financial investments to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve data collection and better regulate the plastics industry.
At the same time, BFFP also suggests stopping support of technologies that compromise chemical or advanced recycling technologies, which are identified as costly, ineffective, and have negative impacts on the environment and human health (FPF reported). In addition, the authors strongly discourage continued investment in downcycling, plastic carbon sequestration as well as disregard “waste to energy” or “waste to fuel” technologies. Instead, BFFP strongly endorses actions to reduce production, distribution, and export of plastic, which it says should no longer receive federal investments.
The authors of the report conclude that “the federal government must take action to eliminate single-use plastic in its operations and to promote our country’s transition away from plastic production, over-consumption, and pollution.” It argues that “through innovation and design, we can rediscover how to produce and deliver goods in a way that protects our communities and our environment.”
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Cole Rosengren (February 5, 2021). “Environmental groups outline $1.3B worth of federal plastics reduction, recycling recommendations.” WasteDive
#PlasticFreePresident (December 8, 2020). “Priority plastic actions for president Biden’s first year.”
Reference
Break Free From Plastic (February 2021). “Congressional Stimulus and funding bills: Recommendations to Reduce Plastic Pollution.” (pdf)
