On Wednesday, after many months of work and consultation with us and other ocean experts and stakeholders, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced Save Our Seas Act 2.0.
Save Our Seas Act 2.0 builds on the original legislation in substantial ways. Here’s what we love about the new bill:
SOS Act 2.0 proposes a variety of new measures to bolster international engagement and cooperation to research and address the marine debris crisis.
It commits resources to scientific research to better understand and address the root causes of plastic pollution, both here in the U.S. and around the world.
The bill also proposes a host of new efforts here at home to improve our waste management system, particularly our recycling infrastructure. For example, the bill creates a loan program for states to support trash wheel and litter trap technologies.