Tipsheet

Biden's Latest Comment About Plastics Is More Radical Than Just Banning Straws

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  February 10, 2020 8:30 AM

Former Vice President Joe Biden called for eliminating plastics during a town hall in Hudson, New Hampshire.

While he specifically addressed single-use items such as straws, he also seemed to call for a broader ban on the material.

“I don’t think we should use plastic straws anymore at restaurants,” Biden said, responding to a question from a child about pollution in the ocean. 

“There’s millions of pounds of plastics being dumped in the oceans, millions of pounds,” he said. “I don’t think we should be using plastic straws anymore in restaurants.”

He continued: "And I think what we should do, just like we did with plastic bottles, I think there should be a requirement in most states, a lot of states to it, they should do it federally that there has to be a deposit on the bottom.”

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Biden then spoke of the significance of addressing climate change. 

“It’s the single most important issue facing the United States of America,” he told the child. “But we should eliminate the use and transition away from the use of plastics. That’s why an awful lot of supermarkets now you know are going back to the old paper bags or giving you canvas carryout bags…”