By Matt Seaholm, president and CEO, Plastics Industry Association
For 250 years, America’s story has always been about the builders and makers who found new ways to innovate, compete and grow. The steam shovel, skyscraper, assembly line and microwave oven are some of the points in a long line of inventions that demonstrate Americans’ exceptional capacity to improve their quality of life.
The plastics industry emerged more than a century ago as a key accelerant in this process, making once impossible ideas possible and helping fuel America’s growth. From the beginning, plastics innovators understood the value of building better and solving problems.
Plastic revolutionized new industries and technologies. It’s the material behind many of America’s defining achievements during the Industrial Revolution, the post-World War II boom and the digital age. Plastic has made cars and planes lighter, safer and more fuel-efficient. It helped turn washing machines, telephones and radios from expensive, clunky machines into affordable, lightweight and common household appliances. Today, plastic makes modern life possible. It keeps food fresh and safe from contamination. It makes life-saving medical devices and safer healthcare possible. Plastic also provides e-commerce with durable, protective packaging that keeps purchases safe during transit. The list goes on and on.
As a uniquely American industry, plastics is one of the few industries that makes, processes, uses and recycles its products—all here at home. The plastics industry operates in all 50 states, supporting more than one million American jobs and contributing over $551 billion annually to the U.S. economy. At a time when the U.S. is working to strengthen domestic production and reduce reliance on foreign materials, plastic recycling represents an important economic opportunity alongside the environmental benefits and continued manufacturing growth.
The history of plastic is the story of American innovation. This July 4th, let’s celebrate the industries, inventors and workers who helped build the nation we know today. The entrepreneurial spirit of the past 250 years will drive the next 250 years.
The plastics industry is proud of its part in the American story and is ready to help shape what comes next.
