The US General Services Administration (GSA, Washington, D.C.; www.gsa.gov) agency, the nation’s federal property manager and purchasing authority, seeks to revise its policies on single-use plastics in packaging and shipping.

Single-use plastic (SUP) products are to be phased out on US public lands by 2032, according to an 8 June order from Deb Haaland, US Secretary of the Interior (see Plasteurope.com of 24.06.2022).

The GSA is seeking comment from interested parties on how to best lower single-use plastics in its procurement practices for government agencies “while limiting burden and liability on its industry and logistics partners.” Issues raised from submitted comments are to form the rulemaking framework for establishing requirements and reporting mechanisms to reduce SUP use.

Related: California law requires all packaging to be recyclable or compostable in 10 years

Washington, D.C.-based trade groups such as the Plastics Industry Association (Plastics; www.plasticsindustry.org) and the American Chemical Council (ACC; www.americanchemistry.com) called the GSA’s proposed rulemaking changes a ban on SUPs and detrimental to consumers, businesses, the broader economy, and the environment.

“If this proposal moves forward, it will run directly counter to the (Biden) administration’s environmental goals to reduce emissions,” said the plastics association president and CEO Matt Seaholm.

Meanwhile, the ACC noted that banning SUPs would increase the US government’s greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, citing life-cycle analysis studies that say plastics offer lower emissions compared to common material alternatives in packaging and consumer products (see also Plasteurope.com of 15.08.2022).