Technological watch
ACC Statement on California’s Attorney General Investigation
WASHINGTON, DC (April 29, 2022) — Yesterday California’s Attorney General announced an investigation into plastics recycling. In response, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement which may be attributed to Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics:
“We strongly disagree with the portrayal of our industry by Attorney General Bonta. As we’ve repeatedly emphasized, plastics belong in our economy, not our environment.
“America’s plastic makers are committed to a more sustainable future and have proposed comprehensive and bold actions at the state, federal, and international levels in our 5 Actions for Sustainable Change and 5 Principles to End Plastic Waste Globally. They include requiring all plastic packaging in the U.S. to include at least 30% recycled plastic by 2030, establish a producer responsibility system for packaging that will help increase recycling infrastructure, and support of a legally binding global agreement to stop leakage and build waste management infrastructure globally.
“ACC is proactively engaged in various states advocating in support of new policies that would require producers to help fund recycling efforts, require use of recycled plastic in new packaging and advance new technologies to help keep plastics out of the environment.
“Plastics are critical to achieving Californians’ sustainability goals. Plastics improve our cars’ fuel efficiency, reduce our homes’ heating and cooling needs, enable solar panels and wind energy, and prevent food waste. Rather than losing time and resources responding to misleading portrayals of our industry and misguided initiatives that delay real progress, we want to remain focused on ongoing efforts to improve plastics recycling and provide meaningful results.”
“We strongly disagree with the portrayal of our industry by Attorney General Bonta. As we’ve repeatedly emphasized, plastics belong in our economy, not our environment.
“America’s plastic makers are committed to a more sustainable future and have proposed comprehensive and bold actions at the state, federal, and international levels in our 5 Actions for Sustainable Change and 5 Principles to End Plastic Waste Globally. They include requiring all plastic packaging in the U.S. to include at least 30% recycled plastic by 2030, establish a producer responsibility system for packaging that will help increase recycling infrastructure, and support of a legally binding global agreement to stop leakage and build waste management infrastructure globally.
“ACC is proactively engaged in various states advocating in support of new policies that would require producers to help fund recycling efforts, require use of recycled plastic in new packaging and advance new technologies to help keep plastics out of the environment.
“Plastics are critical to achieving Californians’ sustainability goals. Plastics improve our cars’ fuel efficiency, reduce our homes’ heating and cooling needs, enable solar panels and wind energy, and prevent food waste. Rather than losing time and resources responding to misleading portrayals of our industry and misguided initiatives that delay real progress, we want to remain focused on ongoing efforts to improve plastics recycling and provide meaningful results.”
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