Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) President & CEO Tony Radoszewski:
“As drafted, we do not believe the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 would effectively address pollution in the U.S. or globally. The title of this bill suggests it is more interested in garnering headlines than it is in finding solutions.
Plastics only account for 13% of municipal solid waste in the U.S. Any effort to specifically target plastic materials—that, after life-cycle analysis, prove to be more environmentally-desirable than other materials—would be misguided at best and harmful at worst. Furthermore, this legislation’s efforts to shut down plastics manufacturing would hurt the nearly one million hard-working men and women in our industry and the nation’s economy as a whole.
If we can make it easier for everyone to recycle in this country, and make recycling more profitable, we could truly reduce the amount of litter that is finding its way into our waterways and ultimately our oceans. Measures like the RECOVER Act—which would designate funds to improve the recycling infrastructure in this country—and other efforts like the RECYCLE Act and the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act provide better approaches than what we’ve seen in the “Break Free” Act.
We look forward to continuing the discussion with Senator Tom Udall and Representative Alan Lowenthal and all lawmakers to educate them about the benefits plastics provide and the environmental, economic and medical dangers that would accompany ignoring those benefits.”
About Plastics Industry Association
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), formerly SPI, is the only organization that supports the entire plastics supply chain, representing nearly one million workers in the $451 billion U.S. industry. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to make its members and the industry more globally competitive while advancing recycling and sustainability. To learn more about PLASTICS’ education initiatives, industry-leading insights and events, networking opportunities and policy advocacy, and North America’s largest plastics trade show, NPE: The Plastics Show, visit plasticsindustry.org. Connect with PLASTICS on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.