I was hopeful that the UN’s discussion about a plastic treaty would incentivise the United States to overhaul its production, use and recycling of plastic. But the talks failed, meaning that the world has lost a huge opportunity to improve recycling rates and reverse the environmental impact of plastic pollution. This is important because the agreement would have limited plastic production for member nations.
After China, the USA is the biggest manufacturer of plastic products. So, it makes sense that we should be the global leader in recycling the material as well. But national recycling rates for PET, PE and PP – plastics that are readily recyclable and in high demand from reclaimers – reached just 21% in 2020. In 2021, overall recycling rates for all plastic types fell to just 5%.
At the same time, the demand for recycled polymers is increasing. For brands to meet their recycled content targets for 2030, the demand for recycled PET alone will need to be three times higher than supply.
The environmental toll of plastic is also massive. The production, use and disposal of plastics is responsible for around 5% of global greenhouse gas. It’s disastrous for the planet’s aquatic ecosystems as well. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in our lakes, rivers, and oceans.
It’s unclear when the next plastics treaty will take place. However, what’s more significant, is that when it is held, it will be Trump, not Biden running the United States.
Historically, environmental policy has been extremely low on Trump’s agenda. During his first term, he rolled back more than 100 environmental laws. In 2017, he reversed restrictions on the sale of plastic water bottles in national parks.
It has also been suggested that Trump could pull out of the Paris Agreement, which will set the tone that the US is not committed to international agreements focused on tackling the global environmental crisis.
So, one of the best chances we have to revive the US’ hopes of improving plastic recycling rates and increasing the supply of recycled content over the next 12 months, are two bills with bipartisan support: The Recycling and Composting Accountability Act and the Recycling Infrastructure Accessibility Act. They’ve passed the Senate several times but have stalled in the House.
If the bills get the green light, they will help local governments build recycling and composting infrastructure projects, enhance rural recycling, increase data collection, and develop a national composting strategy. The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act alone could unlock $750 million for recycling project grants.
More brands are taking up recycled packaging than ever before, so it’s crucial that we lay the foundations for a stronger recycling system across all states. And passing a federal law – rather than state law – will help to make sure that firms can recycle more plastic content irrespective of whether they’re based in Georgia, California, or Kansas.
If we want to achieve true packaging circularity – meaning packaging is made from packaging and becomes packaging again at an unlimited rate – we must boost recycling rates and increase the supply of recycled content available to businesses. Improving the supply chain is a big step in the right direction.
I recognise that there are other ways to improve recycling rates beyond improving the infrastructure – like overhauling Extended Producer Responsibility Laws, introducing laws that discourage the use of virgin materials, investing in re-manufacturing innovation, or developing new ways to increase the reusability of packaging.
But the two acts that have stalled in the House are costed, planned, oven-ready solutions. They’re a quick win with the potential to recycling rates of plastic in the US over the short term.
Timing is of the essence. It’s critical that Biden’s administration expedites the passing of the environmental bills before Trump reaches office. If the legislation has been slow to pass under Biden, it almost definitely won’t pass under Trump. And given his environmental track record, it’s unlikely that we’ll see any improvement in recycling rates in the US during his term.