1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Partnering and Leveraging Assistance to Stop Trash for International Cleaner Seas Act or the PLASTICS Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Eight million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. Marine debris damages the health of marine life, impedes local economic development, and threatens health systems. Ten river systems carry an estimated 90 percent of the plastic waste that ends up in the ocean. (2) Mismanaged plastic waste has the highest risk of contaminating rivers and oceans. China contributes the largest share of this mismanaged waste, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa. The United States is the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of plastics products, and the top exporter of plastic scrap. (3) Most marine debris, particularly plastics, enters the oceans from land-based sources, mainly in developing countries, that lack the capacity to adequately manage waste and prevent dumping. (4) During the Our Ocean Conference in October 2018, the United States announced assistance to prevent marine debris from entering the ocean through development of waste management systems and reduce plastics in marine protected areas in the Indo-Pacific. (5) During the June 2019 G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, the United States joined other G20 members in endorsing the Osaka Blue Ocean Vision to reduce additional pollution by marine plastic litter to zero by 2050 and the G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter, which outlines a commitment to prevent and reduce plastic debris in the oceans through waste management and clean-up efforts to remove marine plastic debris and prioritizes efforts to advance innovative solutions and international cooperation to support such initiatives. 3. Statement of policy It is the policy of the United States to consult, partner, and coordinate with the governments of foreign countries, international organizations, private and civil society