Plastic pollution, and pre-production plastic pollution in particular, is a growing issue in Texas, which remains largely unaddressed. The Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium is organized every year to bring attention to this problem by highlighting the recent scientific research, community engagement efforts, citizen science initiatives, and policy gaps. It brings together advocates, researchers, community members, policymakers, and regulators to discuss solutions and share ongoing work to protect our waters from plastic pollution.
This year, Sierra Club – alongside partners from Environment Texas, Turtle Island Restoration Network, Surfrider Foundation, and the Harte Institute – led the panel discussion focused on current policy needs to address pre-production plastic pollution in Texas. The panel covered the scope of pre-production plastic pollution, current regulatory approaches, recent legislative efforts, and what future policy solutions could look like in Texas.
A key takeaway from the discussion was that, as the nation’s leader in plastic manufacturing, Texas also has an opportunity to lead in preventing pre-production plastic pollution, but only if strong policies are put in place. Sierra Club will continue engaging at the Legislature and with state agencies like Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to advance policies that better protect our waters from pre-production plastic pollution, while encouraging Texans to stay informed, get involved, and be part of the solution.