The Department of the Interior, under Secretary Doug Burgum, today announced the immediate rescission of a 2022 order aimed at phasing out single-use plastic products and packaging across its bureaus and national parks by 2032.
The move reverses the Biden-era policy, emphasizing “flexibility, science-based decision-making, and fiscal responsibility.”
The decision aligns with a recent executive order from President Trump, titled “Ending Procurement and Forced Use of Paper Straws,” issued on February 10, 2025.
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According to Secretary Burgum, the previous directive presented “operational and logistical challenges” and “imposed mandates that restricted locally appropriate solutions.”
“Paper straw cause of death: iced coffee and this Secretary’s Order,” Secretary Burgum quipped in a statement accompanying the announcement.
The now-rescinded SO 3407, issued on June 8, 2022, had mandated that Department bureaus and offices identify alternatives to single-use plastic products and work towards eliminating their procurement, sale, and distribution. The original order was intended to bolster federal sustainability goals and mitigate the environmental impact of plastic waste.
However, the new order argues that the implementation of the plastic ban “did not fully account for cost, performance, or safety considerations.” It states that EO 14208 directs agencies to repeal or revise policies limiting plastic product availability unless there is a “compelling scientific or statutory basis.”
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Under the new order, Department bureaus and offices have 30 days to revise any guidance, policies, or procurement directives that were issued under the previous plastic ban. This includes amending third-party contracts to remove any prohibitions on single-use plastic products and packaging.
While the mandate to phase out plastics is lifted, the order allows for bureaus and offices to “continue voluntary efforts to reduce plastic waste, as appropriate, using local discretion.” However, such efforts cannot be a mandatory condition of contracts or agreements with third parties.
The rescission is effective immediately and supersedes any prior departmental directives or policies that were based on or relied upon the 2022 single-use plastic ban.
The move signals a significant shift in the Department of the Interior’s approach to environmental policy under the current administration, prioritizing operational needs and agency discretion.
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