A new report from the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility criticizes the National Park Service’s plan to reduce single-use plastics.
NPS plans to phase out all single-use plastics by 2032, but the nonprofit says the time frame is too long.
“The Park Service’s plan is a disappointing ‘plan to plan’ without any near-term steps for meaningful plastic reduction,” Rocky Mountain PEER Director Chandra Rosenthal said. “This plan is strong on time-consuming bureaucracy and short on any concrete actions.”
They also note their plan is weaker than any other proposed by Interior Department agencies. The Bureau of Land Management plans to implement a reduction by 2027.
The Grand Canyon was once one of only a few parks that led the way in the reduction of single-use plastics, but the Trump administration later reversed the policy. President Joe Biden has since called for a renewed effort to restrict plastic pollution.
PEER says the 10-year implementation plan makes it especially vulnerable to another change in administration.
The National Park Service has not responded to the allegations.