SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Conservation groups are calling for passage of a bill to phase out single-use plastics.

The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act would hold companies accountable for the full life cycle of their products and packaging and expand reuse and refill programs.

Heidi Harmon, mayor of San Luis Obispo and co-chair of the California chapter of Elected Officials to Protect America, said less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled. Most of it goes from our recycling bins to the incinerator, the landfill and ultimately the oceans.

"The industry conned us into believing that plastics were being recycled," Harmon asserted. "And as a result, since 2005 our plastic waste has doubled. At this rate, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish, by weight, by 2050, which is crazy."

Opponents of the bill argued it puts too big a burden on industry and could cause prices to rise. According to the 5 Gyres Institute, nearly two-thirds of plastic becomes waste and by 2050 global production is projected to triple, accounting for 20% of oil consumption. American companies ExxonMobil and Dow are the two largest plastic producers in the world.

David Levine, president of the American Sustainable Business Council, said federal legislation is needed to spur companies to create truly recyclable products and packaging.

"We can overhaul how we design, manufacture, distribute our products, transitioning from single-use and toxic chemicals to a circular economy, a sustainable economy that creates new business opportunities and more jobs," Levine contended.

There are health implications as well. Last year, for the first time, researchers in Italy found microplastics in the placentas of unborn babies. Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate but have yet to receive a hearing or a vote.

University of New Hampshire scientists said a common aquatic plant called duckweed could help filter polluting runoff from dairy farms and so-called manure lagoons.

They are investigating how growing duckweed in different bodies of water can capture excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which can affect groundwater quality and create toxic algae blooms in lakes and rivers.

Anna O'Brien, assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences at the University of New Hampshire, said duckweed could be a sustainable way to counter agricultural waste.

"Once you've got duckweed in a pond, as long as the conditions don't change a lot, they'll likely persist in that pond and not need to be re-added," O'Brien explained.

O'Brien noted researchers want to determine if duckweed could then be safely harvested and used as a type of green manure fertilizer on farms. It is estimated more than 90% of water pollution problems in New Hampshire stem from polluted runoff.

There are roughly 100 dairy farms in New Hampshire and the majority are considered small with fewer than 100 milking animals. The state has avoided many of the problems associated with industrial dairy but nutrient runoff also stems from urbanization; new developments with fertilized green lawns.

O'Brien acknowledged while some people may not like the look of duckweed, it could be used near new buildings to protect area waterways.

"It can be really important to seed that with a lot of plants and biological material," O'Brien emphasized. "So that it actually works as a nutrient capture system and a filtration system for the runoff going downstream."

O'Brien pointed out duckweed grows rapidly and is easily found throughout New England ponds, lakes and streams, making it ideal for experiments. She and her colleagues are examining the differences in genetic makeup of duckweed species and their effectiveness in nutrient uptake.

She added the research findings could have significant implications for New Hampshire farmers and their surrounding environment.


get more stories like this via email

Minnesota ranks high for its recycling rate, but it still has a waste problem, putting more pressure on local governments.

A plan in the Legislature aims to incentivize more product makers to adapt.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says in an e-commerce world, packaging materials and printed paper now account for 40% of the state's waste stream. And it's expected to grow. But local facilities aren't equipped to sort and recycle all the latest products sent their way.

The World Wildlife Fund is among those encouraging the state to create a program where companies that produce these materials would pay a fee. Erin Simon, WWF's vice president and head of plastic waste and business, predicts it would help in a big way.

"It pays for the right technology to separate and process those materials into really high-quality recycled content," Simon said.

Supporters say shifting the cost burden also incentivizes producers to use materials that are easier to recycle to begin with. An advisory board would be created to oversee the transition.

Four other states are launching similar programs. The Minnesota bill has cleared the committee stage, but it has skeptics, including those worried about market disruptions within the current waste and recycling system.

These initiatives are referred to as Extended Producer Responsibility programs, and Simon argues spurring more adoption among government agencies can help stop waste from entering landfills and hurting ecosystems.

"Today, we have so much plastic waste entering nature - 10 million metric tons a year," she noted. "And for us, that is about negative impacts on species. And so, we really need to see [this] sort of holistic change."

According to state data, in 2022, only 45% of household and commercial waste in Minnesota was recycled. Backers of these plans also say it would benefit human health, especially those living near waste incinerators, while potentially reducing the tax and fee burden on residents.

Tech giant Microsoft has responded to concerns about the environmental impact of discontinuing support for Windows 10 by offering extended security updates.

The move is expected to help states such as North Carolina avoid a massive increase in electronic waste, as people ditch their old PCs for newer models.

The decision comes in response to more than 20,000 petition signatures collected by the Public Interest Research Group.

Lucas Gutterman, director of PIRG's "Designed to Last" campaign, said when support for Windows 10 is set to end in 2025, up to 400 million devices could face obsolescence.

"And that means people either need to dispose of those PCs and replace them and buy a new one," he said, "or they'll be left unsecured against potential attacks from folks that are exploiting that older operating system."

Gutterman said the extended security update program, set to begin in 2025, will come with additional costs for individuals, schools and businesses.

It's estimated that about 50,000 tons of computer equiment is already discarded in North Carolina each year, along with more than 30,000 tons of television sets.

Gutterman pointed out that this move by Microsoft represents a step in the right direction to reduce the environmental impact of outdated technology. However, he said he believes further measures should be taken to address the issue, such as automatically extending support.

"It's not just Microsoft. It's not just Google. It's not just Apple," he stressed. "The entire industry really needs to have things that are designed to last, and it does seem like they are listening to folks that stand together and ask them to do that."

According to PIRG, the manufacturing of these devices has already resulted in about 46 million tons of climate pollution, or the equivalent of adding nine million cars on the road for a year.