Technological watch

WASHINGTON (August 25, 2020) – Today, The Recycling Partnership (TRP) launched The U.S. Plastics Pact (“U.S. Pact”), a collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and World Wildlife Fund thatseeks to change the way plastics are designed, used, and reused to transition to a circular economy for plastics. The American Chemistry Council issued the following statement, which may be attributed to Keith Christman, managing director of plastic markets:

“At the American Chemistry Council, America’s Plastic Makers® are committed to making sure all plastics packaging in the United States is reused, recycled or recovered by 2040. Advancing the U.S. recycling system and creating a more circular economy for plastics will require collaboration between resin manufacturers, converters, brands and retailers as well as waste management companies and recyclers.

“We encourage the signatories of the new U.S. Pact to work toward furthering circularity for plastics by modernizing recycling infrastructure and working to reduce plastic waste. Ending plastic waste will require a variety of solutions including advanced recycling, which converts plastics into a range of useful products while also offering significant economic opportunities.

“As part of America’s Plastic Makers’ actions to enhance plastics circularity, we look forward to collaborating with the Pact signatories, supply chain participants, policy makers, and other groups that share our commitment to a solutions-oriented, more sustainable model for plastics and a circular economy future. We are encouraged by the over $5.2 billion in announced new investments in plastic recycling over the last three years. Eighty percent of these announcements are advanced recycling facilities, which will be essential to meeting recycled content goals.”