SWANA Congratulates the EPA on the New National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, which is the latest publication in the EPA’s Series on Building a Circular Economy for All. The strategy describes a roadmap to prevent the release of plastic waste into the environment. 

“SWANA congratulates the EPA on this publication,” says SWANA Executive Director & CEO Amy Lestition Burke, MA, FASAE, CAE. “As a US Plastics Pact Activator and an Implementation Partner of the Canada Plastics Pact, SWANA is committed to preventing plastic pollution and supports the intent of the strategy.  SWANA members play key roles in many of the strategy’s objectives and goals.”  

The announcement comes shortly after America Recycles Day and a few days before the start of the fifth session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) which is meeting to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. SWANA participated in the INC-4 earlier this year and held a session to highlight the critical role of the waste and resource recovery industry in the treaty objectives. The INC-5 is the last meeting of the committee with the goal of completing the treaty.  

“We are pleased to see the publication of this important strategy in advance of the INC-5. Global cooperation is important to the success of decreasing plastic pollution,” continues Lestition Burke. 

The strategy is organized into six objectives: 

• Objective A: Reduce Pollution from Plastic Production; 
• Objective B: Innovate Material and Product Design;
• Objective C: Decrease Waste Generation;
• Objective D: Improve Waste Management;
• Objective E: Improve Capture and Removal of Plastic Pollution and
• Objective F: Minimize Loadings and Impacts to Waterways and the Ocean. 

Each of these objectives will support the reduction of plastic pollution. SWANA encourages the EPA to utilize the knowledge of the individuals and organizations working in these areas to leverage best practices and new ideas.  

The innovation in product design and labeling (Objective B) should be informed by the organizations that manage recycling programs. SWANA is working to strengthen communication between the designers of packaging and products and those working to recycle these materials.  

SWANA members enable the success of Decreasing Waste Generation (Objective C), Improving Waste Management (Objective D), and Improving the Capture and Removal of Plastic Pollution (Objective E). The organizations that manage recycling education, recycling collections, and material recovery facilities (MRFs) are well-positioned to improve public understanding, improve waste management, and remove plastics from the environment.  

“Ongoing grant opportunities and other financial mechanisms will be key to expanding reuse and recycling systems into the future by enabling communities to implement needed infrastructure and programs,” states Kristyn Oldendorf, Senior Director of Public Policy and Communications at SWANA.  

The strategy describes the activities funded by the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program (SWIFR) and the Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program (REO), which have funded approximately 200 projects, with more to come. The second round of grant applications is currently open. SWANA encourages the EPA and Congress to consider additional funding federal mechanisms to support communities with implementation of the National Strategy. The current SWIFR funding is scheduled to end in Fiscal Year 2026.  

“SWANA will work to support the implementation of the strategy and serve as a resource,” Oldendorf added.  

Read the EPA's National Strategy here.