Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-102

§4261 Statement of Policy on International Cooperation to Combat Marine Debris

Title 33 › CHAPTER 55 — SAVE OUR SEAS 2.0 › SUBCHAPTER II — ENHANCED GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT TO COMBAT MARINE DEBRIS › § 4261

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States must work with other countries, local communities, international groups, banks, fishery leaders, and businesses to reduce marine debris. It must help people learn how plastic waste starts, how it becomes ocean trash, and how that hurts sea life, human health, and economies. The United States must support better systems to cut plastic at the source, collect and recycle or reuse plastic and microfibers, and stop plastic from leaking into the environment. It must promote safe, affordable reusable alternatives, new recycling technologies, and ways to pay for and partner on waste systems. It must also reduce lost or abandoned fishing gear and improve its disposal. Finally, it must work with partners to set measurable reduction targets, make action plans with regular reports, boost public education, plan for debris events, and share best practices.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §4261

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It is the policy of the United States to partner, consult, and coordinate with foreign governments (at the national and subnational levels), civil society, international organizations, international financial institutions, subnational coastal communities, commercial and recreational fishing industry leaders, and the private sector, in a concerted effort—

(1)to increase knowledge and raise awareness about—

(A)the linkages between the sources of plastic waste, mismanaged waste and post-consumer materials, and marine debris; and

(B)the upstream and downstream causes and effects of plastic waste, mismanaged waste and post-consumer materials, and marine debris on marine environments, marine wildlife, human health, and economic development;

(2)to support—

(A)strengthening systems for reducing the generation of plastic waste and recovering, managing, reusing, and recycling plastic waste, marine debris, and microfiber pollution in the world’s oceans, emphasizing upstream post-consumer materials management solutions—

(i)to decrease plastic waste at its source; and

(ii)to prevent leakage of plastic waste into the environment;

(B)advancing the utilization and availability of safe and affordable reusable alternatives to disposable plastic products in commerce, to the extent practicable, and with consideration for the potential impacts of such alternatives, and other efforts to prevent marine debris;

(C)deployment of and access to advanced technologies to capture value from post-consumer materials and municipal solid waste streams through mechanical and other recycling systems;

(D)access to information on best practices in post-consumer materials management, options for post-consumer materials management systems financing, and options for participating in public-private partnerships; and

(E)implementation of management measures to reduce derelict fishing gear, the loss of fishing gear, and other sources of pollution generated from marine activities and to increase proper disposal and recycling of fishing gear; and

(3)to work cooperatively with international partners—

(A)on establishing—

(i)measurable targets for reducing marine debris, lost fishing gear, and plastic waste from all sources; and

(ii)action plans to achieve those targets with a mechanism to provide regular reporting;

(B)to promote consumer education, awareness, and outreach to prevent marine debris;

(C)to reduce marine debris by improving advance planning for marine debris events and responses to such events; and

(D)to share best practices in post-consumer materials management systems to prevent the entry of plastic waste into the environment.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 4261

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102