S. 1926: Reducing Waste in National Parks Act

This bill, known as the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, aims to minimize the use of disposable plastic products within the National Park System. The key provisions of the bill include:

Establishment of a Reduction Program

The Director of the National Park Service (NPS) is required to establish a program to reduce disposable plastic products across the National Park System within 180 days after the bill is enacted. Each regional director will be responsible for implementing this plan in their respective park units.

Elimination of Sales of Disposable Plastics

Regional directors must work towards eliminating the sale of:

• Water in disposable plastic bottles
• Other disposable plastic products

In doing so, they will consider several factors, including:

• The operational costs and benefits
• The volume of waste that would be reduced
• Infrastructure needs, such as refill stations
• Contractual implications with concessioners
• Costs related to maintaining refill stations
• Availability of safe reusable containers
• Potential effects on concessioner sales revenues
• Water availability for visitors
• Visitor education strategies regarding water availability

Visitor Education Strategy

Each regional director must develop a proactive strategy to educate visitors about expectations for water availability and to explain the reasons behind the program aimed at reducing plastic waste.

Consistency Across Units

Implementation should be consistent within each park unit to ensure uniformity. This includes collaboration with organizations operating within the parks, such as concessioners.