Contrary to some politically motivated myths, plastic isn’t the problem, it’s our competitive advantage. By undertaking regulatory and legislative reform, it can become an even greater one for the U.S. economy and our way of life.

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Despite widespread left-wing assurances of impending doom, the American economy maintains its impressive “swagger” due to President Trump’s economic agenda of deregulation and lower taxes.  

Opportunities remain, however, for further progress in that deregulatory agenda for both the Trump administration and Congress.  

Specifically, an opportunity in the emerging field of plastics recycling and manufacturing offers a potential win-win for the American economy and those concerned with environmental quality alike.  

It’s no revelation to say that plastics play a central role in American manufacturing and our economy, and that role will only expand in future years.  

Today, plastics aren’t just a convenience, they’re a foundational material for nearly every economic sector, including future-leaning industries like the aerospace, healthcare, automotive, construction and electronics industries.  Simply put, they’re critical to America’s manufacturing strength and modern quality of life. 

Unfortunately, a complex and often contradictory patchwork of laws impede manufacturers’ ability to expand and improve plastics’ role in innovation and growth.  Outdated federal rules and fragmented policies at all levels of government inhibit the next wave of recycling innovation, threatening U.S. competitiveness.  

In some recent positive news, however, a promising policy solution was offered in Congress last week. 

Namely,  Ross Eisenberg, President of America’s Plastic Makers, testified on July 16 before the United States House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment. Calling on Congress to take concrete action to alleviate the nationwide regulatory thicket in order to advance U.S. manufacturing via recycling, his message was clear: America must lead on advanced plastic recycling. 

The process that Mr. Eisenberg described involves using recycled plastics to manufacture new products.  It’s a highly engineered manufacturing method that complements current mechanical recycling methods by using those materials to produce new virgin equivalent plastics and chemicals.  

As detailed by a recent research paper from American Action Forum, that emerging technological process boosts manufacturing efficiency while also minimizing plastic waste:  

Advanced recycling technology breaks down plastics to their molecular level, which can then become raw materials used in future plastics or other production.  Moreover, these processes allow for a wider variety of products to be recycled.  Analysis by McKinsey noted that while advanced recycling is currently at limited scale and requires the development of new technologies and waste collection, companies are working to make those plans possible.  

Plastics producers have both a financial and reputational incentive to continue investing in advanced recycling technologies.  The ability to recycle plastics into usable materials can reduce costs and, perhaps, make their brands more appealing to consumers.  This market-driven approach would expand commercial opportunities for both recycling and production.  

Mr. Eisenberg subsequently laid out a multi-point plan to advance our ability to capitalize on that emerging manufacturing process. 

First, America must revise outdated regulations strangling innovation. That means formally recognizing the type of advanced recycling that Mr. Eisenberg discussed as a manufacturing process, and formally classifying plastic made through it as recycled content. Clear rules from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will accelerate the growth of a circular plastics economy. 

Second, Congress needs to establish thoughtful legislation in addition to those regulatory measures. Currently, as noted above, inconsistent rules across the nation make it challenging to source recycled plastic—even though demand is rising. Federal legislation could more permanently streamline nationwide policy, and ensure an expanded and steadier supply chain for U.S. manufacturers. 

Contrary to some politically motivated myths, plastic isn’t the problem, it’s our competitive advantage. By undertaking regulatory and legislative reform, it can become an even greater one for the U.S. economy and our way of life.  

Toward that goal, the roadmap from Eisenberg and the American Chemistry Council outlines exactly how smart leadership can power the world to a sustainable yet growth-oriented future, and lawmakers would be wise to heed it.