A National Strategy for Ocean Plastics

摘要

THE 20th century invention of plastics has produced a 21st century deluge of plastic pollution. This global problem spans from increased production of the materials to their problematic disposal. From 2020 to 2021,I chaired a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine expert committee, charged by Congress-pursuant to the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-to determine the U.S. role in global ocean plastic pollution. Our committee concluded that the United States must substantially decrease our contribution to global plastic waste, including by producing less plastic. To do so, the nation needs a comprehensive federal policy and research strategy, with interventions at every stage of the plastic lifecycle.