Figures made with plastics removed from shorelines are displayed at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 6, 2021. Created by multidisciplinary artist Caitlin Doherty and made with plastics removed from Canadian shorelines, a set of figures named plastic beachgoers embody people's collective contribution to plastic pollution, bring the topic of shoreline pollution to the forefront.(Photo: Xinhua)

The US will phase out single-use plastics in national parks and other public lands over the next decade, President Joe Biden's administration announced Wednesday as part of actions on World Oceans Day.

This will include the sale and distribution of plastic bags and bottles as well as food wrappers, beverage cups and other tableware, according to an order by the interior secretary Deb Haaland.

Government departments have one year to develop plans to switch over to alternatives, such as biodegradable and compostable materials, and then have until 2032 to complete the transition.

"As the steward of the nation's public lands, including national parks and national wildlife refuges, and as the agency responsible for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats, we are uniquely positioned to do better for our Earth," Haaland said.

Plastic waste is devastating for fish and other wildlife, with oceans bearing the brunt of the impact since they are downstream of all pollution sources.

Of the more than 300 million tons of plastic produced every year, at least 14 million tons end up in the ocean, the interior department said.

While the plastics industry has attempted to portray the problem as something that can be overcome through recycling, only 9 percent of all the plastic the world has ever made has been recycled, and recycling rates are stagnant.

Christy Leavitt, plastics campaign director for nonprofit Oceana, welcomed the administration's announcement.

"The Biden administration is taking a big step to protecting our oceans from single use plastic," Leavitt told AFP.

AFP