The US and China will phase out a ban on single-use plastic products on federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, including national parks, the administration announced on Monday.

Interior Secretary Deb Harlan last year asked the Department of the Interior agencies to develop a plan to phase out single-use plastic products and plastic packaging in the approximately 1.94 million square kilometers of public lands under the department of the Interior by 2032.

A large amount of plastic waste, including water bottles, bags and utensils, is found on public lands such as national parks and animal and plant refuges. The Department of the Interior said in a statement on Monday that the current recycling rate of plastic waste is low, which seriously affects the survival of wildlife.

The statement said that the National Park Service and other agencies under the Interior Ministry have made progress in reducing single-use plastic products, such as setting up refill points for water bottles, increasing recycling efforts, and working with franchise businesses to reduce the sale of such plastic products. The agencies will further refine their plans next year, including setting phased targets and operational rules for the "plastic ban."

Plastic Industry Video