Keep America Beautiful Applauds Passage of Save Our Seas Act

STAMFORD, Conn., July 26, 2018 /3BL Media/ – National community improvement nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, as a founding member of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance, applauds the passage of the S. 756 Save Our Seas (SOS) Act in a bipartisan vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 25.

The SOS Act is an important step in the reauthorization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, which is the U.S. government’s foray into tackling the problem of ocean plastic waste, 80 percent of which comes from land. The bill requires NOAA to work with other land- and sea-based sources of marine debris and the State Department to promote international action to address the marine debris issue.

Helen Lowman, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, issued this statement in response to the passage of the SOS Act:

“As a founding member of the Trash Free Seas Alliance and partner of the Ocean Conservancy, Keep America Beautiful will continue engaging public and private stakeholders through our national network of community-based affiliates to help eliminate plastic and other litter, with the goal of keeping our land and bodies of water beautiful. The passage of the SOS Act reinforces the relevancy of the work done by Keep America Beautiful and our Trash Free Seas Alliance partners to address the global concern of ocean plastics. During our 65-year history, Keep America Beautiful has worked to end littering, improve recycling and beautify America’s communities.

We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. Much of the current discussion about marine debris concerns the reduction and prevention of plastics reaching the oceans. Keep America Beautiful, with our more than 600-member affiliate network, millions of volunteers, and our Trash Free Seas Alliance partner organizations, is uniquely positioned to provide tools and resources to change littering behavior at the grassroots level.”

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Celebrating its 65th Anniversary in 2018, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.

Behavior change – steeped in education, research and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

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