Page 100 - Plastics News August 2024
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IN THE NEWS
tic,” the statement noted. tent requirements.”
The Association of Plastic Recyclers called the Environmental NGOs voiced support for the
strategy “a significant step as it represents the strategy. WWF Vice President and Head of
first comprehensive, government-wide strategy Plastic Waste and Business Erin Simon said in a
to target plastic pollution.” statement that WWF is “heartened to see this
report doesn’t shy away from the negative im-
APR owns Resource Recycling, the publisher of pacts that plastics have on human health and
Plastics Recycling Update. analyzes the problem through the full life cycle
of plastic.”
“APR applauds the report for recognizing plas-
tics recycling as a crucial part of the large-scale, “Cleaning up the global plastic mess must start
holistic approach needed to achieve a true circu- at home,” she added. “And today under Presi-
lar economy for plastic,” APR’s statement noted. dent Biden and Vice President Harris’ leader-
“Importantly, the report identifies several key ship, the U.S. government is doing exactly that.
actions that are long-standing APR priorities as The world is watching; now is the time for bold
proven and necessary steps to improve plastics commitments and concrete action on plastic.”
recycling.”
Ocean Conservancy’s Jeff Watters, vice presi-
Those priorities are increasing the supply of dent of external affairs, said in an emailed state-
high-quality recyclable plastic packaging with ment that the report is “the clearest articulation
design standards and specifications and improv- to date from the White House of the scale and
ing the demand for post-consumer material with urgency of the plastic pollution crisis and the
minimum post- consumer recycled content re- threat it poses for our ocean and communities.
quirements, APR added.
“This report reiterates what scientists have been
However, the Plastics Industry Association said saying about the ocean plastic pollution crisis for
it was disappointed in the strategy, which it said years, which is that we need to do it all: produce
“arbitrarily singles out plastic under the false less plastic across the board, invest in waste
pretense of a lower environmental impact,” Matt management and reuse systems and clean up
Seaholm, PIA president and CEO, said in a state- what is already in the environment,” he added.
ment.
Report details
“Instead of targeting plastics, we support invest-
ing in improving our country’s recycling infra- The report opens by laying out the effects plas-
structure and are pleased to see this priority in- tic pollution has on the environment and human
cluded in the White House’s strategy,” Seaholm health, voicing support for “developing an inter-
added. “New innovations, like advanced recy- national agreement that is commensurate to the
cling, which increase the efficiency, amount, and scale and breadth of the plastics problem.”
types of plastics that can be recycled, must not SOURCE - Plastics Recycling Update
be stifled. Furthermore, we support well-crafted
extended producer responsibility policies and
reasonable nationally recognized recycled con-
102 PLASTICS NEWS August 2024
