The U.S. Plastics Pact last month listed 11 items used in packaging it plans to eliminate by 2025, because those materials are problematic to recycle.
The announcement made headlines because the U.S. Plastics Pact includes big-name companies like Walmart Inc. and Coca-Cola among its 100-plus members. The group said it plans to release a list of alternative materials that are more circular.
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) criticized the move. “The U.S. Plastics Pact is a group of well-intentioned companies and organizations, but they do not reflect the opinions of the broader plastics industry,” PLASTICS President and CEO Tony Radoszewski said in a news release.
“It’s a lot easier to make lists than it is to live with the unintended consequences of eliminating certain types of products,” Radoszewski said. “Product packaging is designed with specific functions or applications in mind, even if those aren’t immediately obvious to the end customer.”
Joshua Baca, VP of plastics at the American Chemistry Council, said the list of plastics the U.S. Plastics Pact wants to eliminate will slow progress toward a circular economy and a lower carbon future, and reduce the ability to use greater amounts of recycled material in plastic packaging.
It is possible that eliminating some of the materials on the list, such as, PET-glycol, PVC and PS, might give a brief boost to plastics recycling rates. But in the long term, the industry needs to be able to develop and use complex materials to solve high-tech problems in medical, automotive, aerospace and infrastructure industries.
The U.S. Plastics Pact would serve the industry and consumers better by advocating more vigorously for new recycling methods. We will find the needed technology through investment in research and development. The industry is just now at the beginning of exciting development and scaling up of advanced recycling facilities. That’s where future success lies.
Ron Shinn, editor
About the Author
Ron Shinn
Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.