Federal Government to Cut Down on Single-Use Plastics Packaging

Federal agencies will be better able to cut plastic waste out of their supply chains under a final rule issued on Thursday.

The new standard, put out by the General Services Administration, encourages government contractors to state whether they offer packaging free of single-use plastics (SUP), and whether that packaging is the default option or must be specifically ordered by the agency.

It’s the latest example of the Biden administration’s strategy to promote sustainable products and spur new markets by buying them itself. The GSA is one of the largest institutional purchasers of goods in the world, giving it significant ...