WASHINGTON (Nov. 21, 2024) — Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. The following statement can be attributed to Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers:
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and America’s plastic makers share the same critical goal: preventing plastic in the environment. The industry’s commitment is demonstrated by the billions of dollars invested by plastic makers to scale up a circular economy, where used plastics are remade into new products, over and over again. These efforts are designed to keep plastics out of the environment, conserve natural resources, and reduce the environmental footprint of manufacturing.
“We support many aspects of the EPA’s strategy, especially its alignment with key elements of our 5 Actions for Sustainable Change—such as modernizing and expanding our recycling capacity, enhancing public education, and the need for a national extended producer responsibility framework. However, some components of the agency’s strategy could inadvertently lead to the outsourcing of U.S. manufacturing. A circular economy for plastics needs to keep America competitive and keep jobs here.
“We urge the Administration to carefully consider the potential unintended consequences of policies that prescribe alternatives to plastics and appreciate the agency’s call for more data to better understand trade-offs. Plastics have a lower lifecycle GHG footprint in many applications compared to materials like paper and metal.
“America’s plastic makers look forward to collaborating with the EPA to prevent plastic in the environment, boost the reuse and recycling of plastics, and ensure a sustainable future for our environment, economy, and communities. Together, we can make meaningful progress toward a cleaner, more circular future.”
