By Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. The U.S. Interior Department announced Wednesday that it would eliminate single-use plastics from public lands by 2032. This is a step to address a significant source of plastic waste in the United States, as well as national parks.

Interior Secretary Deb Haland issued a secretary order directing the agency’s procurement, sales and distribution of single use plastic products on approximately 480,000,000 acres of Interior Department-managed land. The order calls for the reduction of these items and packaging by 2032.

In fiscal 2020, the department generated nearly 80,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste. As plastic waste generated increased to record levels, some countries have stopped accepting U.S. trash exports. The U.S. has seen its recycling rate drop to as low as 5%.

Haaland declared that “The Interior Department must play a leadership role in reducing plastic waste impact on ecosystems and climate.”

This announcement is the result of years-long pressure from the Interior Department to ban single-use plastics within the country’s over 400 national parks. Rep. Mike Quigley (D.Ore.), and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ill. introduced legislation last October that would ban single-use plastics from being sold and distributed in parks.

Staff were also instructed by the Interior Department to find alternatives to single-use plastic items, including compostable, biodegradable, and 100% recycled materials.

Christy Leavitt from Oceana Conservation Group, who has been advocating for a ban on plastic for many years, stated, “The Department of Interior’s single-use disposable plastic ban will curb million of pounds of unnecessary plastic in our national parks, other public lands and where it can pollute these special areas and oceans, and waterways around them.”

An earlier draft of a plan for a worldwide plastics treaty was agreed by the United Nations’ member countries. This would reduce single-use plastics produced and used in developing nations. State and country attempts to limit single-use plastic have been resisted by the oil and petrochemical industry.