Today, more than 250 organizations in the U.S. (including dozens of members of the Break Free From Plastic movement) urged the country’s new President and Congress to invest $1.3 billion in solutions to address the devastating impacts caused by plastic pollution. The policy solutions focus both “upstream” on eliminating the source of plastic production and its negative impacts, and “downstream” on mitigating the impacts in communities and in nature.

"The way federal tax dollars are spent reflects the priorities of the nation. Just as the United States is wisely moving away from subsidizing fossil fuel production, we should stop funding fracked plastics. Instead, Congress should support innovation that provides alternatives to plastics. These alternatives are good for the environment, prevent pollution in environmental justice communities, and create local jobs.” — Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics and former Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The new report identifies 13 solutions to reduce the environmental and health impacts of plastics, as well as five false solutions that should not receive federal funding.