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.