Fourteen AGs Sent Comments to EPA Calling for More Comprehensive Approach to Address Plastic Pollution

JULY 31, 2023

California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing comments responding to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Request for Information on a Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. In the comments, the AGs urged EPA to address the production and design of plastics in order to account for the full scope of the life cycle of plastics to protect human health and the environment. The comments discussed the health toll the plastics industry has on the most vulnerable and overburdened communities, explaining that living near plastic production facilities can result in “breathing in the worst air, drinking the worst water, and tragically, developing cancer at higher rates.” The AGs called on EPA to work with states and international bodies on efforts to develop plastics alternatives, adopt national labeling standards for plastics, and launch a national reorientation campaign designed to “shift away from the current throw-away lifestyle and toward an equitable, circular future.”