ATLANTA – State Representative Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) recently participated in the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) Plastics Learning Summit in Chicago, joining state leaders from across the country to examine new strategies for reducing plastic pollution, strengthening recycling systems and protecting communities from toxic chemical exposure.
“Georgia must be forward-thinking about plastics, chemicals and the health of our communities,” said Rep. Carter. “Georgia families deserve clean water, safe communities and a recycling system they can trust. This summit gave us an opportunity to dig deeper into how plastics and toxic chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are impacting the health of our people, our waterways and our economy. I was honored to represent Georgia and bring our voice to a national conversation about environmental justice, innovation and accountability.”
The multi-day summit brought together lawmakers, scientists, environmental justice advocates and policy experts to address the full life cycle of plastics—from production and consumption to disposal, contamination and community health impacts.
“Georgia is home to one of the strongest recycling markets in the nation,” added Rep. Carter. “However, we still lack statewide policy on single-use plastics, and communities across the state are already seeing microplastics in our rivers and PFAS in drinking water systems. We can no longer afford to address these issues piecemeal. This is about protecting public health and ensuring long-term environmental and economic resilience.”
During the summit, Rep. Carter engaged with lawmakers from states that have adopted Extended Producer Responsibility, recycled-content standards, PFAS regulations and reuse/refill systems that reduce waste and municipal cost.
“Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods are disproportionately impacted by pollution, petrochemical facilities and contaminated water systems,” said Rep. Carter. “As legislators, we have a responsibility to make sure every child, every senior and every family has equal access to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment.”
The summit aimed to emphasize the need to center environmental justice in plastics and chemical policy—an issue Rep. Carter seeks to address in Georgia. As a member of the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Small Business, Economic Development, Education and Code Revision committees, Rep. Carter seeks to highlight the importance of addressing plastics and toxic chemicals through cross-committee collaboration.
“The solutions are within reach,” concluded Rep. Carter. “We can modernize recycling through producer responsibility, strengthen protections for our waterways, support local government innovation and hold polluters—not taxpayers—accountable for cleanup. Georgians deserve that level of leadership.”
Rep. Carter plans to brief her legislative colleagues, local leaders and environmental partners on the summit’s insights and explore policy opportunities to improve water quality, reduce waste, strengthen recycling systems and advance public health protections during the upcoming legislative session.
NCEL is a nonpartisan network of state lawmakers committed to securing environmental and public health protections across the United States. The Plastics Learning Summit seeks to provide lawmakers with the latest research, best practices and policy tools to address plastic pollution and chemical contamination.
To learn more about NCEL, please click here.
Representative Doreen Carter represents the citizens of District 93, which includes portions of DeKalb, Gwinnett and Rockdale counties. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2015 and currently serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Code Revision, Economic Development & Tourism, Education and Small Business Development committees.
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