A cleaner America and a more prosperous, secure America go hand in hand. President Trump’s America First agenda is an opportunity not only to reinvigorate our economy and revitalize our manufacturing base, but also to create a cleaner climate and promote clean innovations and technologies. Ultimately, it’s an opportunity to show the world that economic security and environmental protection are not competing values.
Advanced recycling is a perfect example of this principle. As a form of both recycling and manufacturing, it’s the best chance we have of making a real dent against landfill waste. While some environmentalists have expressed concerns, the reality is that plastics have an effective and growing record of economic and environmental benefits. Let’s look at the facts.
Advanced recycling involves transforming discarded plastic into high-quality raw material that can be re-manufactured into new products. This technology could, theoretically, eliminate the concept of single-use plastics entirely, all while strengthening the domestic supply chain on which our manufacturing base relies.
Plastics are uniquely useful when it comes to manufacturing. They are strong, malleable, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and durable. As a result, plastics support over a quarter of all manufacturing, and every single manufacturing sector relies in one way or another on plastics. For example, plastics now make up half the volume of cars, and as engineers improve electric vehicle range and battery efficiency, plastic is an essential piece of the puzzle.
Beyond the automotive industry, plastics are essential for building and maintaining our critical infrastructure including our telecommunications networks, water systems, and electrical grids. The healthcare industry depends on plastics for everyday products such as gloves and tubing, plastic packaging prolongs the shelf life of food, and plastic insulation keeps electronic products safe from overheating and improves the energy efficiency of buildings. In fact, all efforts to invest in renewable energy sources rely on plastic.
Solar energy and wind energy, which reduce our carbon footprint, also depend on plastics. Solar panels are encased in plastic sheets that protect the sensitive cells responsible for converting sunlight into electricity. Plastics are also essential for insulating the wires that move electricity from solar panels to devices. Wind turbine blades are made with light, durable plastic composites, which allow them to spin well but also withstand harsh conditions and years of constant rotations.
The hostility towards plastics by some environmental advocates is perplexing, considering the essential role plastics play in products and energy sources championed by green initiatives. Moreover, they fail to consider that alternative materials such as glass and metal require more energy to produce and process, weigh more, and lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
As we prioritize expanding our domestic manufacturing output, we will need to ensure our factories have plastics readily available. Advanced recycling technology is the result of billions of dollars of investment – now it’s time for federal and state governments to provide regulatory certainty that advanced recycling projects will be supported, which will encourage further investment.
Congress can easily streamline the recycling process in America and cut bureaucratic red tape. We need to update our outdated recycling system and unify the current patchwork of inconsistent rules and practices across 9,000 jurisdictions. We also need to enact favorable tax policies and approve research and development expenses for recycling technologies. This Administration’s focus on increasing our self-reliance through growing our manufacturing base and making more products on American soil is exciting, but if we want to strengthen our manufacturing sector and protect our environment, we need to innovate both technologically and legislatively.
These are the facts: our factories need plastics to make products. We can and should make more plastics domestically, including through advanced recycling. It provides more manufacturing opportunities, increases our much-needed domestic plastics supply, and supports a cleaner environment. It’s time to put America first when it comes to both manufacturing and recycling.
Steve Pociask is the chief executive officer for The American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, follow us on X @Consumerpal.