The growing global crisis of plastics waste is often framed as a problem stemming from careless consumers, but a new bill introduced in the US Congress Tuesday seeks to shift the responsibility back to industry.

The proposed “Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act,” introduced by Democratic lawmakers, would be the most ambitious regulation the US plastics industry has ever seen.

It would require producers to collect and recycle their own waste, create a nationwide drink container refund scheme and phase out certain single-use plastic items.

But it has little chance of passage in the Senate where a Republican majority opposes curbs on an industry that generates about $400 billion in sales and a million manufacturing jobs.

Still, observers say it signals the growing sway of environmental groups on mainstream politics.

The bill would require producers of certain plastic products to design, manage and finance programs that collect and process product waste—normally the purview of state and local governments.

Beginning in 2022, they would have to phase out many single-use items like carryout bags, and polystyrene containers.

It would also create a 10-cent national refund program for all beverage containers, schemes that have proved highly successful at the state level.

Read the full and original article at Phys.Org