Plastic pollution is emerging as a defining crisis of our time. The United States has set a national goal to eliminate plastic release into the environment by 2040 and is engaging in negotiations on a global plastics treaty while simultaneously developing a national strategy. A recent report published by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a comprehensive overview of existing legal authorities the federal government can leverage to achieve this national goal while safeguarding human health and the environment. On July 1, 2024, ELI hosted the authors of the report along with other experts to explore the plastic pollution crisis. Here we present a transcript of that discussion, which has been edited for style, clarity, and space considerations.