These states include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon and Vermont. As plastic bags (mostly made of polyethylene) are readily discarded and cannot be recycled, ending up in our oceans and terrestrial environments. Approximately 300 million plastic bags end up in the Atlantic Ocean every year. We need to work towards phasing out these unnecessary and harmful pollutants from our societies. We can do this by advocating for our state and local governments to ban the single-use plastic bag, and like California, incorporate fees or taxes on products that have negative implications for our environment.

"This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a pilot program that tests the efficacy and cost effectiveness of tools, technologies, and techniques to (1) remove microplastics from the environment, and (2) prevent the release of microplastics into the environment."

By speaking with local Congresmen and Legislators about this bill we can show our support towards a plastic/microplastic free environment.