The Defense Department has failed to comply with a mandate to identify and reduce the disposable plastics used at military sites, the Government Accountability Office found in a report released Tuesday.
A 2021 executive order by President Joe Biden called on the federal government to take steps to reduce waste. The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality followed up in 2022 with implementation instructions for federal agencies on cutting back on single-use plastics.
The GAO report noted that officials from various components with the DOD, such as the logistics and commissary agencies, said they weren’t sure how to execute the mandate on reducing plastics use.
“These officials stated that they typically wait for department-wide guidance before acting in response to executive orders and any instructions to ensure that their actions align with department-wide goals,” the report stated.
