More than 380 million tons of plastic are produced each year.

Less than ten percent of it is recycled. The rest is either burned or ends up in landfills and the ocean, polluting the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the places we call home. Often, this pollution most negatively affects communities of color and low-income neighborhoods that are already disproportionately impacted by climate change and toxic disasters. 

Without action, plastic pollution will only get worse. Industry is investing hundreds of millions of dollars into expanding capacity and is projected to triple plastic production by 2050. From extraction to production to pollution, these activities will wreak havoc on the health of people and the planet.

To meet this crisis, the U.S. Congress officially reintroduced The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act in October 2023. The legislation has the power to comprehensively tackle plastics production, inspire copycat legislation at the state level, introduce millions of Americans to progressive, science-backed solutions, and move the U.S. toward a strong position in the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. It’s exactly the type of policy we need to center in this fight. Here are just a few of the incredible ways this bill could help the U.S. break free from plastic: 

• Create a nationwide refund program for beverage containers 

• Ban many non-recyclable single-use plastic products and bags

• Eliminate toxic substances in beverage containers and post-consumer recycled material

• Establish a nationwide Extended Producer Responsibility program 

• Spur investment in recycling and composting infrastructure 

• Stop waste from being shipped to developing countries

• Temporarily pause new permits for petrochemical facilities

• Establishes strict limitations for wastewater, spills, and runoff from plastic polymer production facilities

Watch the video, Breathe This Air, to dive deeper into why the need for a comprehensive and systemic policy to address the plastics crisis has never been greater.

Add your name to urge U.S. leaders to support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. Then, help build momentum by sharing the campaign on Facebook and Twitter.

This petition in support of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act was updated on Oct. 25, 2023 to reflect the 2023 reintroduction of the bill, and 132,594 signatures have been carried over from the initial petition.