WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) ), together with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), introduced the Protecting Communities From Plastics Act. This bill would strengthen protections for communities most harmed by petrochemical production and pollution; create new nationwide targets for single-use plastics reduction; and move the United States away from chemical recycling and incineration. The legislation comes several months after Ocean Conservancy worked with Representative Huffman’s office to spearhead a Congressional push for EPA regulation of chemical recycling, and Ocean Conservancy experts have worked closely with legislators to craft the bill. Dr. Anja Brandon, Associate Director of U.S. Plastics Policy at Ocean Conservancy, issued the following statement in response to the bill:

“The ocean is the public face of the plastic pollution crisis, but the threat impacts all of us. Plastics – and the petrochemicals from which they are made – are fueling climate change, worsening environmental injustice, and harming human health. By 2030, plastic production will contribute 1.3 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere– that’s the equivalent of 300 coal-fired power plants, most of which are sited in low-income communities and communities of color.

“The Protecting Communities From Plastics Act is a critical step towards addressing the sweeping harms caused by the petrochemical industry and breaking our reliance on single-use plastics. It also takes the important step of preventing the EPA from including chemical recycling technologies, which perpetuate our reliance on fossil-fuel based virgin plastic, in the national recycling strategy, and instead focus on making less plastic.

“Ocean Conservancy is proud to endorse the Protecting Communities From Plastics Act, and we look forward to continuing our work with Senator Booker and Representative Huffman on this critical issue. We must break our reliance on petrochemicals and single-use plastics – for the health of our ocean, our air, and ourselves.”

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NOTE TO EDITOR

Ocean Conservancy fact sheets on chemical recycling can be found here.

About Ocean Conservancy’s Commitment to Ocean Justice

Ocean Conservancy is dedicated to protecting and supporting marginalized communities on the front lines of some of our ocean’s greatest global challenges, including plastic pollution and climate change. As part of our organization’s commitment to advancing ocean justice, we are oriented toward our mission: a healthier ocean, protected by a more just world. Learn more about Ocean Conservancy’s work advancing ocean justice here.

About Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.