Encouraging U.S. Leadership Toward Global Plastics Treaty

Prior to the fourth round of negotiations of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, the National Aquarium and more than forty other leading U.S. aquariums and zoos encouraged the United States to pursue a whole-of-government domestic strategy to stop plastic pollution by 2040 and support a strong and ambitious international agreement that addresses every stage of the plastic life cycle.

The United States is a top generator of plastic waste by mass and per capita. As such, we have the responsibility to take a greater stance, becoming a domestic and international leader in addressing plastic pollution. Most of all plastic ever made is buried in landfills, has been incinerated or has leaked into our environment. Plastic is now found in the air we breathe, our neighborhoods and waterways, the deepest part of the ocean, the food we consume, and even our own bloodstreams. Most species of sea turtle, marine mammal and seabird have eaten and/or become caught in our plastic waste. Nearly all plastic is produced from fossil fuels, making emissions from each stage of its lifecycle a significant contributor to our warming planet. Plastic production and pollution also unjustly and disproportionately harm sections of the populace, such as communities of color and lower-income communities.

The National Aquarium is one of many organizations calling for strong leadership from the United States and the international community to advocate for the negotiation and implementation of an ambitious, effective and legally binding global plastics agreement that addresses the full life cycle of plastics.