# What the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act Does

This bill asks the National Park Service to cut down on single-use plastic products sold and given out in America's national parks. The main focus is eliminating the sale of bottled water in disposable plastic bottles and reducing other plastic items like plastic bags, foam containers, and plastic food packaging. The goal is straightforward: reduce the amount of trash piling up in parks and protect these natural spaces from plastic pollution.

Here's how it would work in practice. Within six months of the law passing, each regional director of the National Park Service would need to create a plan to phase out disposable plastics at their parks. Instead of selling bottled water, parks would install water refill stations where visitors can fill up their own reusable bottles for free. Parks would also need to educate visitors before they arrive—through websites and signage—so people know to bring their own water bottles. The plan recognizes that this isn't one-size-fits-all; each park would consider factors like the cost of installing refill stations, how it affects the businesses that operate concessions in the parks, visitor safety concerns about having enough water, and whether the park already has water available at food service areas.

The bill includes important safeguards to make sure the transition doesn't create problems. Parks would need to evaluate the program every two years, checking whether visitors are satisfied with water availability, whether anyone has gotten sick from drinking surface water instead, and how much plastic waste is actually being prevented. Parks that already stopped selling bottled water before this law would be allowed to keep that policy. The law also requires parks to work with the businesses operating gift shops and restaurants to make the transition smoothly, rather than suddenly cutting off their plastic product sales without warning.

Reducing Waste in National Parks Act

Quigley, Mike

Reducing Waste in National Parks Act This bill directs the National Park Service to establish a program for the National Park System to reduce disposable plastic products and, if applicable, eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products. Each regional office of the National Park Service must eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic products and the sale and distribution of other disposable plastic products after consideration of several specified factors (e.g., the costs and benefits to overall operations). Each regional office must develop a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the program and its implementation.