In response to the CLEAN Future Act, a bill U.S. House of Representatives members introduced yesterday, which would halt new permits for plastics production facilities, eliminating manufacturing and other jobs across the economy, Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) President & CEO Tony Radoszewski issued the following statement:
“Addressing climate change is a laudable goal, but the CLEAN Future Act—as currently introduced—aims to end the manufacture of one of our country’s most valuable and sustainable materials: plastics. Multiple lifecycle analyses show that plastics are the most sustainable material in comparison to all existing alternatives, including glass, aluminum and paper.
“The negative economic consequences to this action are also very real. The plastics industry employs more than one million individuals across the United States, whose work touches countless related industries and sectors. As our nation recovers from the economic impacts of COVID-19, we should not pursue policies that would harm employment, especially in America’s manufacturing sector.
“We already have the tools and technologies to address plastic waste and to infinitely repurpose plastic into new materials and products through advanced recycling. It’s a process that is necessary for a sustainable society, and we support measures that invest in and encourage the further development of this technology. The CLEAN Future Act not only ignores the extreme value of advanced recycling, it hinders further development of this technology, moving us further away from a solution that would truly address plastic waste.”