An estimated 33 billion pounds of plastic enter the marine environment every year — roughly the equivalent of dumping two garbage trucks full of plastic into the ocean every minute. On top of plastic’s harmful impacts to marine life, plastic has now been found in our water, our food, our soil, our air, and our bodies, and scientists are still learning how this may be affecting human health.
Last week, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Mike Quigley introduced the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act. If passed, the bill would phase out the sale and distribution of single-use plastic products, including plastic beverage bottles, plastic bags, plastic foodware, and plastic foam items across all national parks.