SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Pennsylvania is toward the bottom of a list of states that are evaluating their efforts to reduce plastic pollution, according to the most recent study released by the advocacy group Ocean Conservancy.

Anja Brandon, one of the report's co-authors, stated that the research discovered state regulations that support the recycling of hazardous chemicals. She suggests that the state reduce its use of single-use plastics, just like the neighboring Great Lakes and Northeast states have done. Pennsylvania could adopt policies such as comprehensive extended producer responsibility, which in turn will help it to increase the amount of material that is recycled and kept out of the environment, Brandon noted.

House Bill 1547's provisions aim to outlaw single-use plastic bags in retail settings. In the state, up to 40 towns have enacted local plastic bag bans. However, a statewide ban on plastics has not yet been implemented in Pennsylvania.

Nearly 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually from land-based sources, according to a research by the Ocean Conservancy. Additionally, the United States is the third-largest source of ocean plastic pollution and the largest producer of plastic waste. It called on the federal government to address the issue of plastic pollution in a significant way.

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