Assessment of Pennsylvania’s Plastic Pollution Mitigation Efforts in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A recent national evaluation by the Ocean Conservancy, titled “United States of Plastics,” has ranked Pennsylvania near the bottom of all states for its efforts to combat plastic pollution, assigning it a score of 1.5 out of a possible 5. This report outlines the state’s current standing, its legislative landscape, and the significant implications for achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning environmental health and sustainable consumption.

Key Findings and Impacts on Sustainable Development Goals

The state’s low ranking is attributed to existing policies and a lack of comprehensive action against single-use plastics, which directly undermines progress on critical SDGs.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: Pennsylvania’s consumption patterns include the use of over 4.7 billion plastic bags annually, resulting in approximately 26,000 tons of waste. The report notes that state laws support harmful chemical recycling methods, failing to promote a circular economy and responsible production models.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: Although an inland state, Pennsylvania’s plastic pollution contributes to the 11 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. All communities are connected through watersheds, meaning waste generated within the state can travel to the ocean, harming marine ecosystems. The United States is identified as the world’s top generator of plastic waste and the third-largest contributor to ocean plastic pollution.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The vast quantity of plastic waste generated pollutes terrestrial ecosystems, posing a direct threat to local wildlife and environmental health within the state’s boundaries.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Inaction at the state level places the burden of waste management on municipalities. While 40 municipalities have enacted local bans, a lack of statewide policy hinders the creation of holistically sustainable communities.

Policy Recommendations and Legislative Framework for SDG Alignment

State-Level Policy Recommendations

To improve its environmental performance and align with global sustainability targets, the report suggests several strategic actions for Pennsylvania:

1. Implement Comprehensive Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Adopt policies that hold producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, combining elements of bottle bills and EPR to maximize recycling rates and minimize environmental leakage.
2. Restrict Single-Use Plastics: Follow the example of neighboring Great Lakes and Northeast states by enacting legislation to reduce or ban single-use plastics.
3. Promote Sustainable Alternatives: Encourage a transition towards safer and proven alternatives to single-use plastics to foster a more sustainable consumption model.

Current Legislative and Advocacy Efforts

There is growing momentum for change at both the state and local levels, reflecting a multi-stakeholder approach consistent with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

• State Legislation: In June, Representative Maureen Madden introduced House Bill 1547, which aims to ban single-use plastic bags in retail establishments across the state.
• Municipal Action: Forty municipalities in Pennsylvania have already implemented local ordinances banning plastic bags, demonstrating leadership at the community level.
• Federal Context: Progress at the national level has stalled. Despite the passage of the Save Our Seas Act nearly a decade ago, subsequent bills designed to tackle plastic pollution—such as the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, Fighting Fibers Act, and Farewell to Foam Act—have not been passed, highlighting the critical role of state-level action in driving the sustainability agenda.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on plastic pollution in Pennsylvania addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus on waste management, pollution, and its impact on both land and marine environments directly relates to the following SDGs:

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article discusses waste management at the state and municipal levels, highlighting how local actions (or inactions) contribute to the overall environmental health of communities. The mention of 40 municipalities adopting local bans on plastic bags directly relates to urban environmental management.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This is a central theme, as the article focuses on the problems arising from the consumption of single-use plastics and the production of plastic waste. It advocates for reducing waste generation through policies like banning single-use bags and implementing “comprehensive extended producer responsibility,” which aims to make producers accountable for the entire life cycle of their products.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article explicitly connects Pennsylvania’s plastic problem to marine health. It states that “about 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year from land-based sources” and emphasizes that even inland states contribute to this issue through watersheds. The mention of the “Save Our Seas Act” further solidifies this connection.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.” The article’s focus on Pennsylvania’s 26,000 tons of plastic bag waste and the efforts of 40 municipalities to ban these bags are direct attempts to manage municipal waste and reduce the environmental impact of its cities and communities.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.4: “By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.” The article highlights the failure to meet this goal by pointing out Pennsylvania’s laws that back “harmful chemical recycling” and the fact that plastic pollution travels through watersheds, releasing waste into water and soil.
• Target 12.5: “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.” This target is at the core of the article. Proposed solutions like banning single-use plastic bags (prevention/reduction), promoting “safer, proven alternatives” (reuse), and implementing “extended producer responsibility to significantly increase the amount of material that is recycled” all aim to reduce waste generation.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• Target 14.1: “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.” The article directly addresses this target by quantifying the problem (“11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year from land-based sources”) and identifying the U.S. as the “third-largest source of ocean plastic pollution.” It stresses that inland states like Pennsylvania have a responsibility to act because their pollution ends up in the ocean.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Amount of plastic waste generated: The article provides a specific baseline indicator for Pennsylvania: “More than 4.7 billion plastic bags are used annually in Pennsylvania, creating around 26,000 tons of waste.” A reduction in this tonnage would indicate progress towards Target 12.5.
• National and global plastic pollution rates: The figure of “11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year from land-based sources” serves as a global indicator for Target 14.1. The fact that the U.S. is the “top generator of plastic waste” is a national-level indicator.
• Policy and legislation adoption: The number of municipalities with local bans (“40 municipalities have adopted local bans on plastic bags”) is a clear indicator of progress at the local level. The introduction of statewide legislation like “House Bill 1547” and federal bills like the “Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act” are indicators of policy action, and their passage would be a key milestone.
• State performance scores: The Ocean Conservancy’s report giving Pennsylvania “a score of just 1.5 out of five” is a specific, measurable indicator of the state’s performance in combating plastic pollution, relevant to Targets 11.6 and 12.5. An improvement in this score would signify progress.
• Recycling rates: While not providing a specific number, the article implies that recycling rates are a key indicator. The call for policies to “significantly increase the amount of material that is recycled” suggests that measuring the percentage of plastic recycled is a critical metric for Target 12.5.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bctv.org