Marine debris, especially plastics, not only harms over 800 species of marine life in our oceans, but also the local economies of coastal communities. This debris threatens to grow and cause further damage to our world if left unchecked.
Last December, the United States moved closer to addressing this problem when the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act was signed into law. This Act, which builds on its predecessor, the Save Our Seas Act of 2018, addresses reducing ocean plastics and other marine debris littering our waters.
Save Our Seas 2.0 (SOS 2.0) provides federal funds to help states improve recycling programs, support anti-litter initiatives, improve education and outreach, and more. This includes $55 million in grants for additional research on waste management and mitigation strategies and improvements to domestic infrastructure.
SOS 2.0 also calls for global cooperation to reduce marine debris and formalizes the United States’ commitment. Through legislation, the United States will strengthen its response to preventing marine debris and cleaning up the debris that already exists by providing funding locally and spurring innovation nationally.
We can all do our part to reduce marine debris by limiting the waste we create and recycling, composting, or reusing anything we no longer need. With Save Our Seas 2.0, we are moving closer to living in a world with cleaner waters.
Photo credit: solarseven | iStock | Getty Images Plus