US GSA finalizes new plastics packaging rule

The US General Service Administration (GSA) finalized a rule encouraging single-use plastic (SUP) free packaging for supplied and purchased products under Federal Supply Schedule contracts (FSS).

The rule will incentivize the reduction of SUP packaging through marketing opportunities on the FSS by using an icon to indicate which products are SUP-free, according to the 6 June rule release by the GSA.

The FSS is the primary contracting method for federal buyers and includes more than 14,500 contractors.

The rule supports President Joe Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan to lower the federal government's environmental footprint, which includes finding products to decrease plastic waste in consumer supply chains.

FSS contractors will be prompted to announce if they offerSUP-free packaging and if that is the default option or if it must be stated. GSA will promote FSS contractors with SUP-free packaging to federal consumers.

Feedback on the rule has been mixed. The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy organization, said it appreciates the GSA for recognizing the federal government's participation in the waste of single use packaging, but said it does not go far enough. The rule is "underwhelming" and "won't make a dent in the plastic crisis", the organization said in a statement.

The Plastics Industry Association, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, and the American Chemistry Council released a joint statement with concerns over the new rule. "It suggests that eliminating plastics will be better for the environment in all scenarios — which is fundamentally false," the groups said.

The rule has an effective date of 8 July.

By Tasani Stokes