November 9, 2023

The explosion of plastic production and pollution threatens the health of environmental justice communities, ecosystems, and the general public, while jeopardizing efforts to prevent the worst of the climate crisis. [...] Plastic poses grave threats to communities and the environment Plastic is taking a terrible toll on the environment, polluting rivers and oceans, and creating mountains of garbage in the U. [...] Less visible but no less destructive is the creation of toxic air and water pollution, and generation of hazardous waste from the production and disposal of plastic posing serious health risks, particularly to nearby communities.1 Plastic pollution is linked to everything from infertility to cancer in humans, to severe injury and death in wildlife.2 Plastic is also highly persistent. [...] EPA should protect the integrity of the Solid Waste Disposal Act and stop spending taxpayer dollars promoting “chemical recycling” Third, the EPA must maintain the current definition of “waste” under the Solid Waste Disposal Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), rather than weakening it by excluding plastic waste, as the industry has sought. [...] We are eager to work in partnership with you and your Administration to address the plastic crisis, and we hope that together we can successfully turn the tide on toxic plastic and make meaningful strides toward protecting people and the planet.