Policy
The new year has just begun, but our chapters and regional staff are already running full steam ahead. Some states such as Oregon and Washington have short legislative sessions every other year meaning that their legislative sessions can be as short as five to eight weeks! A few priority statewide bills that Surfrider is advocating include prohibiting balloon releases in Florida and passing extended producer responsibility for single-use plastic packaging in New York and Washington. Help us pass these policies and others by signing action alerts!
Florida residents, join the call to stop a bad bill!
Our Florida chapters have also released an urgent Action Alert: Stop SB1126 Regulation of Auxiliary Containers. From our activists in the region:
In case you didn’t think the existing state preemption on plastic policy was bad enough, the Florida legislature is trying to make it worse.
In 2008, the Florida legislature passed a state law preempting the regulation of single use plastic auxiliary containers and wrappings from local governments to the state. Now, the state legislature is taking the existing preemption to a whole new level: SB1126 would take away local government’s home rule and ability to regulate any single use or reusable cup, bottle, bag, or other packaging designed for transporting, consuming, or protecting merchandise, food, or beverages from a retail or food establishment.
After more than a decade of inaction on the plastic waste problem drowning Florida’s coasts and ocean, and costing Florida communities millions of dollars, the legislature is attempting to take away any chance of meaningful policy change to address plastic pollution and waste management in Florida.
We need you to make your voice heard on why more preemption is bad for Florida’s ocean, waves, and beaches. This bill is being heard this Tuesday Jan. 16 at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Commerce and Tourism Subcommittee. Call and email members of the committee today and ask them to vote NO on SB1126 Regulation of Auxiliary Containers. Floridians want meaningful policy change to reduce plastic pollution, not more preemption.
2024 Federal priorities
On the federal side, Surfrider continues to build bipartisan support for important legislation, federal funding, and executive action to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches.
This includes:
- Advancing the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act and passing the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act;
- Reducing single use plastic pollution by strengthening the plastic procurement phase out by the federal General Services Administration;
- Developing a strong, binding Global Plastics Treaty with the support of our Chapter activists, Student Club Network and global affiliates.
Beach Cleanups
Surfrider activists are hitting the ground running in 2024 and ready to clean their local beaches. We’re just 12 days into the new year and 241 volunteers have already removed over 1,300 pounds of trash and recycling during 17 beach cleanups. If you haven’t made your New Year’s resolution yet, make it a goal to leave your beach better than you found it and join a Surfrider beach cleanup near you. Let’s make 2024 the best (and cleanest) year for our beaches yet!