Federal initiative targets plastic pollution across the country
TAMPA, Fla. - The federal government announced a goal to eliminate single-use plastics from federal operations by 2035 through an initiative targeting plastic pollution.
"Starting with phasing out all of those single-use plastics in food service venues, events and packaging by 2027," Dr. Anja Brandon, the associate director of U.S. Plastics Policy with Ocean Conservancy said.
Brandon said this initiative is a historic move.
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"I think you'll see investments in water bottle refill stations, reusable cups, plates, forks, utensils, all of those for all of the food service establishments that the federal government has and operates," Brandon said.
The initiative continues a push for sustainability and tackles plastic pollution.
Advocates say plastic pollution isn’t just harmful to animals and the environment. Dr. Debi Luke, the senior vice president of conservation with the Florida Aquarium, said it's also impacting humans.
"We're seeing it in human health across the board," Luke said. "Microplastics are pieces of plastic from big bottles and other big pieces of plastic that degrade, and they turn into microscopic or nano-plastics that we're ingesting now every day."
The Florida Aquarium has already implemented some changes by swapping out certain plastic products for alternatives.
"So, it's all aluminum and glass recyclables," Luke said. "We also don't use plastic or Styrofoam to-go containers anymore. We use cardboard."
Luke said the stuffed animals and many toys in the gift shop are made out of recycled plastics and materials. She said there are also plastic straws that are made out of biodegradable materials and can be used as an alternative to traditional plastic straws.
According to the American Chemistry Council, a study with Trucost in 2016 found that the environmental cost of plastic in consumer goods is 3.8 times less than alternatives and materials needed to replace plastics.
However, places like the Florida Aquarium, said the changes and alternatives implemented have actually saved money.
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"We use glass jars that can then be washed and cleaned and reused again," Luke said. "So, we're not buying those products over and over again and then throwing them away."
Advocates said plastic products can still be important in areas like the medical field, but that beginning to reduce many of the single-use plastics will help the environment in the long run.
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