Parks Group Celebrates Phasing Out of Single-Use Plastics in National Parks

BACKGROUND: In response to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s Secretary’s Order today to reduce the use of single-use plastics including national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands by 2032, NPCA responded with the below statement.

Statement by Sarah Gaines Barmeyer, Senior Managing Director, Conservation Programs for the National Parks Conservation Association

“Eliminating single-use plastics in our national parks is a win-win for all and a goal NPCA has advocated and supported for years. Plastic pollution kills countless birds and wildlife, negatively impacts our water quality and shows up in our oceans and the food we eat. These plastics never dissolve and will outlive us, impacting our environment and our health.

“Plastic pollution has plagued our national parks for years. With park visitation at an all-time high and the climate crisis worsening, phasing out single-use plastics will protect the very resources and wildlife we all seek to enjoy, save money and park staff time and improve the visitor experience. NPCA has long-supported the elimination of hard-to-recycle items and single-use plastics in our parks and have led efforts to encourage and educate good stewardship in our parks now and for generations to come.

“With the commitment from the Biden administration to begin to address these harms, the lessons we learn from our parks can serve as best practices and be leveraged to reduce plastic pollution more broadly. We all have a right to clean air and clean water and this is a major step forward in making this a reality for all communities, everywhere.”

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About National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its nearly 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.