Industry advocates are promoting advanced recycling technologies and federal legislation that could boost Pennsylvania’s plastics industry, create jobs, and reduce waste while avoiding higher consumer costs.
“Plastics are essential to modern life, making broad bans costly and unrealistic,” the PA Chemical Industry Council wrote in a June 10 post on X. “Instead, policymakers should embrace advanced recycling tech to transform waste into valuable materials. Encouraged to see the EPA working on regulatory certainty!”
The comments come as industry groups push for policies expanding advanced recycling and supporting the Recycled Materials Attribution Act, which supporters say would establish a national framework for tracking recycled plastics and reduce regulatory uncertainty for companies investing in recycling infrastructure.
Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, described advanced recycling as a potential economic driver for Pennsylvania, citing the state’s manufacturing base and established plastics sector, the Philly Leader reported.
According to industry data, Pennsylvania’s plastics manufacturing industry supports more than 38,000 direct jobs across roughly 580 facilities statewide, with workers earning average annual wages approaching $70,000.
Eisenberg also said a bill pending in Congress, the “Recycled Materials Attribution Act,” would streamline accounting for recycled materials across supply chains, helping manufacturers verify recycled content and encouraging additional investment in advanced recycling technologies.
Industry groups have also pointed to research suggesting that restrictions on plastic packaging could increase consumer costs. A recent analysis cited by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, drawing on American Consumer Institute data, found that replacing plastic packaging in a 49-item grocery basket would raise costs by 21.6 percent, with additional increases across staples such as milk, proteins, and frozen foods.
Supporters of advanced recycling say technologies such as chemical recycling can convert used plastics into raw materials for new products, reducing waste while maintaining access to materials used in packaging, health care, transportation, and consumer goods.
The debate comes as the Environmental Protection Agency considers regulatory policies affecting advanced recycling technologies. Industry groups have welcomed efforts to provide greater clarity for chemical recycling processes, arguing that clearer rules could encourage investment and innovation.
Pennsylvania’s plastics manufacturing sector remains central to the policy debate, with industry advocates arguing that advanced recycling could help support tens of thousands of jobs while shaping the future of recycling and manufacturing policy in the state.
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