Reducing Waste in National Parks Act

Key Points

• The bill directs the National Park Service to create a program to cut down on single-use plastic items like water bottles, plastic bags, and foam food containers sold or handed out in national parks.
• Before removing plastic water bottles or other items, park officials must weigh many factors, including the cost of water refill stations, effects on concessioner revenue, and visitor safety around dehydration.
• Parks must also develop education campaigns, including signs and online information, so visitors know to bring their own reusable water bottles and understand why the changes are happening.
• Every two years, each region must evaluate how the program is working, looking at visitor satisfaction, safety incidents, buying habits, and how much plastic waste is actually being collected.
• The bill defines disposable plastic products broadly to include beverage bottles, plastic bags, plastic food ware (even ones marketed as compostable), and expanded polystyrene (foam) products.