ANALYSIS ...

A report for the Center for International Environment Law found that in 2019, the production and incineration of plastic pumps more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere — equal to the emissions of 189 coal power plants generating 500 megawatts each.

- Pushback Mark Spalding, CEO of the Ocean Foundation, told AFP the bill was the result of a growing public push, with consumer-led boycotts or local-level bans of items like straws, plastic bags and polystyrene cups helping to raise new levels of awareness.

He added the bill signified a relatively new policy approach, known as “extended producer responsibility” that the European Union has taken a lead on with its ban on certain single-use plastic items by 2021. Canada has announced a similar move.

“This bill would finally tackle the plastic crisis at its source by reducing the amount produced in the first place, and encouraging a shift to refillable and reusable alternatives,” added Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer of Oceana, a non-profit ocean conservation organization.

But it was denounced by the Plastics Industry Association, which lobbies for the industry and has a political action committee that contributes to lawmakers’ election campaigns -- overwhelmingly to Republicans.

“The title of this bill suggests it is more interested in garnering headlines than it is in finding solutions,” said the group’s President Tony Radoszewski.

“Furthermore, this legislation’s efforts to shut down plastics manufacturing would hurt the nearly one million hard-working men and women in our industry and the nation’s economy as a whole.”

Udall told AFP that while his bill was unlikely to become law soon, it was intended as a model “so that when we have an administration and a Senate that’s more receptive, that we can get something done.”

Agence France-Presse