The Environmental Justice Impacts of Plastic Pollution

October 2023
Citation:
53
ELR 10791
Issue
10
Author
Peggy Otum, Jonathan Black, Margaret Spring, and Carlton Waterhouse

Plastic pollution is a global environmental problem with a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities and other vulnerable groups. On June 27, 2023, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), ELI’s Women in Environmental Law & Leadership initiative, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and WilmerHale co-hosted a panel of experts who explored the environmental justice implications of continued production and disposal of plastics, and addressed key domestic and international policy efforts. Below, we present a transcript of that discussion, which has been edited for style, clarity, and space considerations.

Peggy Otum (moderator) is a Partner at WilmerHale. Jonathan Black is Senior Director for Chemical Safety and Plastic Pollution Prevention with the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Margaret Spring is Chief Conservation and Science Officer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Carlton Waterhouse is a Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law.

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