Last month, Turtle Island Restoration Network, along with other leading environmental, community, and other groups sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to direct the National Park Service (NPS) to eliminate the sale or distribution of single-use plastics in our national parks.

Recently, Secretary Haaland issued Secretarial Order 3407 to phase out single-use plastics over a 10-year period across the entire Department of the Interior (DOI). As part of the DOI, this included the National Park Service. Secretary Haaland agreed to the request in the letter and more, making the effort a success!

Eliminating single-use plastics will reduce plastic pollution and save money for parks, visitors, concessionaires and park partners, while also advancing the Biden administration’s goals for addressing environmental justice and the climate crisis.