U.S. will consider limiting plastics in federal purchasing

(Reuters) – The Biden administration on Wednesday took a primary step towards limiting single-use plastic in federal procurement following strain from environmental teams.

The transfer by the U.S. authorities, which spends greater than $650 billion on services annually, may speed up efforts to seek out alternate options to a significant supply of U.S. waste.

In a public discover, the Normal Providers Administration, which manages federal property and serves as the federal government’s buying authority, stated it was searching for enter from the general public on using plastic in transport and packaging, in addition to different makes use of in federal contracts. It stated it intends to make use of the data to craft necessities and reporting mechanisms aimed toward decreasing single-use plastic.

The GSA will settle for public feedback for 60 days earlier than contemplating a proposed rule.

“With single-use plastics being a major contributor to the worldwide plastic air pollution concern, it’s a logical step for the company to look at this,” the GSA stated within the discover.

The trouble comes 5 months after 180 conservation and neighborhood teams filed a petition calling on the GSA to ban federal companies from shopping for single-use plastics. They argue that plastics, that are produced with fossil fuels, are contributing to local weather change, harming public well being and clogging the atmosphere.

“I hope this extremely promising growth marks the beginning of a federal dedication to strike on the root of the plastic air pollution disaster,” Heart for Organic Variety legal professional Emily Jeffers, who authored the petition, stated in an announcement.

Final month, the Biden administration stated it might section out single-use plastic merchandise on public lands, together with the Nationwide Parks Service, by 2032.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Modifying by Leslie Adler)