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Recently this year, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act was introduced by Senator Udell of New Mexico and Representative Lowenthall of California. This act aimed to hold beverage companies accountable for their excessive plastic use by forcing them to pay for waste collections and allowing customers to obtain a refund through a "bottle bill." Although this act was viewed as unrealistic, it still shows that environmentalists are still fighting for the health of our planet. For instance, at the state level, officials had voted to ban plastic bags and foam containers. However, this was met from opposition by beverage companies that succcesfully fought for their right to harm the earth with plastic manufacturing. Thus, officials need your support.
Here are some successful acts and laws that have been passed:
2015 Microbead-Free Waters Act banned mircobead, small pieces of plastics in personal care products
2018 Save Our Seas Act called for organizations such as the Academy of Natural Sciences to evaluate the costs and effectiveness of proposed solutions
In 2014, California passed a law banning single-use plastic bags for large retail stores and went into effect on July 1, 2015. This ban was followed by similar bans of plastic bags in seven other states including New York.