The White House announced Friday that it has set a goal to end federal purchases of single-use plastics by 2035.
The Biden administration will work to phase out federal purchases of such plastics for food service operations, events and packaging by 2027, it added.
“Plastic production and waste has doubled over the past 20 years, polluting our oceans, poisoning the air near production facilities, and threatening public health,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
Microplastics have become ubiquitous in the environment. When humans are exposed to these tiny plastics, Linked Issues of brain development and reproductive development in animal experiments.
Whether the White House’s new goal actually comes to fruition will depend on who wins the presidential election in November and over the next few years, but environmental activists praised the move.
“The U.S. government is the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, and its purchasing decisions can have global impacts,” Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, said in a written statement.
“This positive step will reduce America’s reliance on single-use plastics that harm our oceans, climate and communities,” Leavitt added.
