The Biden administration last month announced it would minimize the federal government’s use of plastic cutlery, a product which it says is contributing to a “plastic pollution crisis.”
The move is among multiple other actions aimed at reducing single-use plastics in federal government buildings. Single-use plastics are products that are designed to be discarded after use.
Such products have caused substantial damage to the environment, the Biden admin wrote in a fact sheet, and can have an enhanced impact on “communities with environmental justice concerns.”
“Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health,” the release reads. “The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that pollution can occur at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, disproportionately impacting communities with environmental justice concerns, contributing to loss of biodiversity, and exacerbating the impacts of climate change.”
Items that will be phased out in government buildings include “plastic and polystyrene food and beverage containers, bottles, straws, cups, cutlery and disposable plastic bags.”
Paired with the announcement is an 83-page document detailing government efforts to combat worsening plastic pollution. Proposed in the document are actions like using reusable water bottles in the Navy, investing in reusable materials across government agencies and employing NASA satellites to help make “informed decisions about environmental challenges.”
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., reviled the move, saying it ignores more pressing concerns
“There is an invasion happening at our southern border,” he wrote. “Families cannot afford groceries. Energy costs are through the roof. There is unrest in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Biden and Harris are focused on banning the government from using plastic cutlery.”
Researchers at the University of New Mexico in May announced findings revealing the presence of microplastics in 100% of testicles involved in a study. The study examined 47 canine and 23 human testicles for the presence of 12 types of microplastics. Each of the organs involved were found to contain some amount of microplastics.
Microplastics are extremely small particles of debris that break down from larger plastic waste in the ocean and can prove harmful to humans and animals if ingested.
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