Support Plastic Pollution Reduction

Adopted at the 89th Annual Meeting in 2021

  • WHEREAS, the plastic pollution crisis has grown so massive that waste management systems largely operated directly or under contract by cities are unable to handle it, with the U.S. ranked as the world's largest generator of plastic waste. Recent studies show that the amount of plastic entering our oceans will triple in the next 20 years. Without reducing plastic waste and holding producers accountable, the burden falls on local governments and taxpayers. This legislation provides the opportunity to create a circular economy of reusable products rather than throwaway plastics made from fossil fuels; and

    WHEREAS, plastics generate greenhouse gases at every phase of their life cycle: fossil fuel extraction and transport, refining and manufacturing, usage, waste management, and unmanaged plastic that permeates our land, water, and air. In 2019, it was estimated that plastic production and incineration emitted 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to 189 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants operating at full capacity, and this is a conservative estimate. We cannot solve the climate crisis without bold legislation aimed to mitigate plastic pollution; and

    WHEREAS, plastic pollutes our air, water, and landscapes killing and injuring wildlife and harming human health. It breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, ending up as microplastics and microfibers in our water and air. These have been found in the most remote places on earth, from the Mariana Trench to the human placenta. The endocrine disrupting chemicals found in plastics harm our health and can cause cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and neurological impairments in development; and

    WHEREAS, with the plastic industry's plan to increase production of plastic by 40 percent over the next decade comes a serious threat not only to wildlife and the climate, but also to public health and safety. Pollution from the plastic industry exposes communities to chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, neurological damage, endocrine disruption and other serious health problems and can be biomagnified up the food chain. Petrochemical facilities that turn fracked gas into plastic, and incinerators that burn plastic are often located in communities of color and low-income communities that bear the brunt of their dangerous pollution. The plastic pollution crisis is also an environmental justice crisis; and

    WHEREAS, the US Conference of Mayors adopted the resolution" Supporting of Development and Expansion of Waste and Recycling Markets" at the 88th Annual meeting, but mitigation of plastic pollution needs to go beyond expansion of recycling markets; and

    WHEREAS, the United States must be a global leader in confronting the plastic pollution crisis; and

    WHEREAS, the State of Maine recently passed LD 1541 establishing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging,

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of encourages Congress to craft Federal legislation that that address plastic pollution with reduction strategies that include eliminating single use plastics, expanding reuse/repair programs, enhancing recycling opportunities and increasing requirements for recycled content, phasing out certain plastic products, places additional responsibility on manufacturers for waste management, recognizes microplastics (and microfibers) as a source of pollution and restricts the exporting of plastic waste. The language of any new legislation should also require agency notices, decisions, and require any engagement to be professionally interpreted and translated for multilingual communities.
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