Expressing support for the designation of July 2026 as "Plastic Pollution Action Month".

IV 119TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 1470 Expressing support for the designation of July 2026 as ‘‘Plastic Pollution Action Month’’. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AUGUST 3, 2026 Mr. DOGGETT (for himself, Mr. K RISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. M IN, and Mr. L EVIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing support for the designation of July 2026 as ‘‘Plastic Pollution Action Month’’. Whereas plastic pollution represents a global threat that will require individual and collective action, both nationally and internationally, to address; Whereas approximately 450,000,000 tons of plastic is pro- duced each year, a number that is projected to triple by 2050; Whereas, in the United States— (1) the rate of plastic waste recycling is less than 10 percent; and (2) less than 3 percent of plastic waste is recycled into a similar quality product; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Aug 03, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1470.IH HR1470kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HRES 1470 IH Whereas a study from the Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development found that, in 2022, the United States— (1) mismanaged 4 percent of plastic waste; (2) landfilled 73 percent of plastic waste; (3) incinerated 19 percent of plastic waste; and (4) recycled 4 percent of plastic waste; Whereas single-use plastics account for not less than 40 per- cent of the plastic produced every year; Whereas more than 12,000,000 tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year from land-based sources alone; Whereas, if no action is taken, the flow of plastics into the ocean is expected to triple by 2040; Whereas, as of the date of adoption of this resolution, studies estimate that there are approximately 171,000,000,000,000 pieces of plastic in the oceans of the world; Whereas, of those 171,000,000,000,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean, 1 percent floats, 5 percent washes up on beaches, and 94 percent sinks to the bottom; Whereas nearly 1,300 marine species have consumed plastics; Whereas peer-reviewed modeling has found that ingesting less than 3 sugar cubes of plastic can kill a seabird; Whereas plastics, and associated chemicals of plastics, are in- gested by humans and are associated with well-estab- lished human health risks; Whereas studies have found microplastic particles in human blood, lungs, colons, and placentas; Whereas studies suggest that humans ingest more than 800 microplastics per day; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Aug 03, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1470.IH HR1470kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HRES 1470 IH Whereas taking action to reduce plastic use, collect and clean up litter, and reuse and recycle more plastics will lead to less plastic pollution; Whereas, every July, people challenge themselves to reduce their plastic footprint through ‘‘Plastics Free July’’; Whereas, during the 40-year period preceding the date of adoption of this resolution, more than 19,000,000 volun- teers have joined the International Coastal Cleanup to collect more than 400,000,000 pounds of plastic and de- bris while simultaneously recording their findings to in- form research and upstream action; Whereas switching to reusable items instead of single-use items can prevent waste, save water, and reduce litter; and Whereas July 2026 is an appropriate month to designate as ‘‘Plastic Pollution Action Month’’ to recommit to taking action, individually and as a country, to reduce plastic pollution: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) expresses support for the designation of 2 ‘‘Plastic Pollution Action Month’’; 3 (2) recognizes the dangers to human health and 4 the environment posed by plastic pollution; and 5 (3) encourages all individuals in the United 6 States to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild 7 public health and the environment by responsibly 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:08 Aug 04, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1470.IH HR1470kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HRES 1470 IH participating in activities to reduce plastic pollution 1 year-round. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:18 Aug 03, 2026 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR1470.IH HR1470kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB