Reducing Waste in National Parks Act

The Reducing Waste in National Parks Act would direct the National Park Service (NPS) to establish a nationwide program within 180 days to reduce disposable plastic products in National Park System units, with the goal of eliminating, where feasible, the sale and distribution of disposable plastics (notably disposable water bottles) and other items such as certain bags and polystyrene products. The bill requires regional directors to implement the plan in their areas and to consider a list of factors—ranging from costs and waste reduction to infrastructure for bottle-refill stations, contractual implications with concessioners, safety, and visitor education—when deciding how to phase out disposable plastics. It also mandates proactive visitor education, aims for consistency across units, and requires biennial evaluations of the program’s impact (including public response, visitor satisfaction, purchasing behavior, safety, and bottle collection rates) with reporting to the Director of the NPS and the Secretary of the Interior. The act would allow units that already stopped selling water in disposable bottles before enactment to continue doing so. In short, the bill seeks to dramatically reduce disposable plastic use in national parks by phasing out certain products, expanding reusable water options, and ensuring ongoing evaluation and communication with visitors and concessioners.