World Wildlife Fund and other NGOs urge President Biden to adopt federal strategies to tackle plastic pollution both nationally and globally; groups recommend instituting a whole-of-government approach at the federal level to advance solutions

Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joined several NGO’s and foundations to issue a letter to President Biden calling for him to institute a whole-of-government approach at the federal level to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution, both in the U.S. and internationally. WWF issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs:

“With plastic pollution devastating our environment and threatening the economic and human health of our communities, we need bold action at all levels of society with the U.S. government leading the way. We are calling on the President to elevate this issue across his Administration, activating the full power of the federal government and signaling American leadership on an issue of global significance.

“The Administration has already demonstrated significant leadership, including by working with other countries toward securing an international agreement to end plastic pollution. We must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to set ourselves on a course to a future where plastic no longer ends up in nature.

"By instituting a whole-of-government approach at the federal level, you can empower these growing efforts, help them flourish, and add significant momentum to efforts to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution in the U.S. and internationally. We respectfully encourage you to take such presidential action…" - Excerpt from Letter to President Biden

“We also need concerted action in the U.S. to put solutions in place now. Presidential action to address plastic pollution here at home will spur the regulatory certainty that leading companies are calling for to enable them to innovate and move further faster. It will also help to drive global ambition at a pivotal moment.

“President Biden has an opportunity to put the full weight of the federal government behind solutions to catalyze a circular economy and set the stage for concerted global action. We are witnessing a groundswell of support from business and the American public. It’s time to supercharge it with a government-wide approach to reducing plastic pollution.”