Huffman and Members of Congress Urge GSA to Reduce Single-Use Plastics Government-Wide

Press release from the Office of Congressman Jared Huffman:

Separated plastic bottles in a recycling plant (Ptuj, Slovenia) Radulf del Maresme, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA), U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representatives Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Steve Cohen (TN-09) led a bicameral group of 58 members of Congress in a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) in response to the agency’s potential rulemaking focused on reducing unnecessary single-use plastics in government purchases.

“Plastic pollution is one of the gravest environmental threats of our time,” the members wrote. “As the single largest purchaser of goods across the world, the U.S. government has an important opportunity to do the right thing and lead by example. Not only is such a move necessary in light of the climate crisis and environmental justice concerns, a plan to phase out single-use plastics in federal procurement policies also opens the door for a growing community of sustainable product enterprises and a socially and environmentally responsible economy.”

GSA is considering a rulemaking focused on reducing unnecessary single-use plastics in government purchases. In February 2022, 180 groups filed a legal petition filed asking GSA to prohibit agencies from buying disposable, single-use plastics.

The letter was cosigned by Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Karen Bass (CA-33), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Sean Casten (IL-06), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Diana DeGette (CO-01) Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Llyod Doggett (TX-35), Veronica Escobar (TX-16) Dwight Evans (PA-03), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3), Sara Jacobs (CA-53), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Stephen Lynch (MA-08) Doris Matsui (CA-06) Betty McCollum (MN-04) Donald A. McEachin (VA-04), Grace Meng (NY-06) Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Eleanor Norton (DC) Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Scott Peters (CA-52), Mark Pocan (WI-02) Linda Sánchez (CA-38) John Sarbanes (MD-03) Janice Schakowsky (IL-09) Adam Schiff (CA-28) Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Mark Takano (CA-41) Mike Thompson (CA-05) Dina Titus (NV-01) David Trone (MD-06) Juan Vargas (CA-51), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) and Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Senators Richard Blumenthal CT, Richard Durbin (IL), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Edward J. Markey (MA) Alex Padilla (CA), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), and Ron Wyden (OR), Bernie Sanders (VT) , Cory Booker (NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (MA).

The full letter can be viewed here or below:

U.S. General Services Administration

1800 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20405

Dear Administrator Carnahan:

We encourage you to enact changes required to reduce single-use plastics across federal government purchasing. By phasing out the procurement and use of single-use plastic products, the General Services Administration will greatly reduce plastic pollution while also advancing President Biden’s executive orders on tackling the climate crisis (EO 14008) and federal sustainability (EO 14057).

Plastic pollution is one of the gravest environmental threats of our time. Plastic pollution is driven in large part by the use and disposal of single-use plastics—products that have environmentally sustainable and economically accessible alternatives, including reusable products and packaging.

Plastic production fuels the climate crisis as plastics are derived from fossil fuels, a product of the oil and gas industry. This petrochemical process harms communities with toxic air and water pollution. Once discarded, plastic clogs our rivers and oceans, harms wildlife, infiltrates our drinking water, and persists in the environment for centuries.[1] [2] Plastic is a threat to human health, exposing us to chemicals linked to many of the known public health crises of our time, including many forms of cancer.[3] Therefore, as we transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy, we must also transition away from producing wasteful single-use plastics.

A recent national poll shows that 8 in 10 American voters support national action to reduce single-use plastic.[4] There is also growing support in Congress for legislative solutions which would lead to the reduction of single-use plastic pollution, such as the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (H.R. 2238/S.984), The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act (H.R.7861/S.1507), and the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act (H.R. 5533/S.2960). Additionally, on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2022, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland issued Order 3047, which directs the Department of the Interior to phase out purchasing and use of single-use plastics across the agency.

As the single largest purchaser of goods across the world, the U.S. government has an important opportunity to do the right thing and lead by example. Not only is such a move necessary in light of the climate crisis and environmental justice concerns, a plan to phase out single-use plastics in federal procurement policies also opens the door for a growing community of sustainable product enterprises and a socially and environmentally responsible economy.

We commend your first step toward a rulemaking. We urge you to move as swiftly as possible in this rulemaking process to phase out the procurement and use of single-use plastics across the federal government, while understanding the continued need for purchases relevant to disability accommodations, disaster recovery, medical use, and personal protective equipment. Thank you for your leadership in overseeing the delivery of effective and efficient government services for the American people. We look forward to working together in building a more sustainable nation now and for generations to come.

[Members of Congress]

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14 Comments
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Hugh ManateeD
Member
1 year ago

Has anyone actually done a study to see if eliminating single use bags is actually beneficial? I see an awful lot of people at Target and other places getting their goods bagged up in the MUCH thicker “multi use” plastic bags, but I have serious doubts that these bags actually get reused, which would mean the law may well be detrimental to the environment.

local observer
Guest
local observer
1 year ago
Reply to  Hugh Manatee

I am heading to Winco today with my bag full of bags. these bags are great for all sorts of uses. you can put stuff in them and not worry about it breaking. I haven’t bought a bag in 3 or 4 years. and if you don’t have bags with you, just reload the cart and haul it all to your vehicle costco style. thin plastic bags that fly away in the wind are a worldwide first world problem.

Two Dogs
Guest
Two Dogs
1 year ago
Reply to  Hugh Manatee

Name something made of plastic that isn’t single-use. It will all end up in the trash someday. High temp burning is the cleanest way to dispose of it. Plastic contains as much energy per pound as premium gasoline, and can be burned as clean as natural gas. Electricity much?

thatguyinarcata
Guest
thatguyinarcata
1 year ago
Reply to  Two Dogs

Surely you have plastic items that you’ve used more than once. Other than packaging, I encounter very few plastic things in my daily life that are truly single use. I’ve got plastic silverware that is probably 2 or 3 years old that have been used many times

Xebeche
Guest
Xebeche
1 year ago
Reply to  Hugh Manatee

I re-use thoe bags for MONTHS as kitchen trash bags. I empty them into contractor bags many times before finaly tossing them. I also have cloth bags always in my car for shopping and re-use the produce plastic bags til they fall apart. I am not alone ☺

lol
Guest
lol
1 year ago
Reply to  Xebeche

So you use them for months then they persist in the environment for how long? Use fully compostable trash bags instead and we will all be better off.

lol
Guest
lol
1 year ago
Reply to  Hugh Manatee

Obviously being single use was not the problem with plastic grocery bags. Even if you use them 10 times, for months on end, the problem is still there.

Alf
Guest
Alf
1 year ago

Actually, Huffman and his fellow Democrats are the biggest environmental hazzard we face.

Permanently on Monitoring
Member
Permanently on Monitoring
1 year ago
Reply to  Alf

What they should do is eliminate only the corrupt agents of the government…

Being in an office is a sign of egomania, and Huffman’s constant “huffing” will get him laughed out of session…

Plastics should be banned completely, like the new cars they won’t be able to sell us that run on gasoline…

Xebeche
Guest
Xebeche
1 year ago
Reply to  Alf

Only bigots & fools reject efforts such as this. Cleaning up the planet is actually the most important issue on earth.

Pat
Guest
Pat
1 year ago

Every time I see congresspersons on TV with single-use plastic water bottles on their desks/podiums/whatever, I just want to throw things at the TV.

guest`
Guest
guest`
1 year ago

In the 70s we didn’t have plastic grocery bags. People used paper bags and then used them again for taking out the trash. Soda came in redeemable reusable glass bottles that were worth returning and you didn’t have to wash them, you took them to any store and got a refund. Food was wrapped in waxed paper including shelf stable foods like Saltines. I admit I thought the plastic straws were an improvement over soggy paper straws…

Chris
Guest
Chris
1 year ago

This is hilarious. Just scroll back to the news item about jared attending the new hydrogen fuel deal here a few weeks ago. Old jared standing there with what else? A sigle use water bottle. Look at all the press conferences with jared in the last few years. Every single one of them he has a disposable water bottle in front of him.

Chris
Guest
Chris
1 year ago
Reply to  Chris