Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research: U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology Hearing

The Subcommittee on Research and Technology of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a June 24th hearing titled:

Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research: Moving from Staggering Statistics to Sustainable Systems (“Hearing”)

The focus of the Hearing was the search for solutions to address plastic waste generation.

Key issues addressed included:

• Understanding barriers to the current recycling system
• Potential for upstream solutions
• Research, technology and data gaps that need to be filled
• The need for standards development
• Development of assessment models to achieve sustainable systems

Witnesses at the Hearing and their comments included:

• Works with companies, communities and policymakers to strengthen U.S. community recycling programs
• Discusses moving the linear economy towards a circular system
• Technology has an important role to play when it comes to plastics’ role in the United States recycling system
  • Noting how can plastics products be better designed for recycling purposes
  • How different kinds of resins in the marketplace can be part of a more circular economy
  • How can standards be developed to make sure businesses know what quality of recycled feedstock they are getting?

• Works in the field of polymer science
• Provides information which includes:
  • Overview of research efforts carried out in the National Science Foundation Center for Sustainable Polymers
  • Provides views on the broader research needs, opportunities and challenges for federal research in bio-based, compostable, and alternative plastics and in chemical advanced recycling
  • Provides input on proposed research activities at the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy and any other research and standards development activities directed under legislation being considered

• Research focuses on the development and application of lifecycle models and sustainability metrics to guide the design and improvement of products and technology
• Provides a scope of the plastics waste problem noting:
  • Plastic waste crisis is more than a packaging waste problem
  • Multiple technical and economic barriers limit plastics material recovery
  • System analysis tools are necessary to overcome challenges
  • Provides a number of recommendations

• States American Chemistry Council is committed to creating a more circular economy for plastics
• Notes development of “roadmap to reuse” (outlining what is described as a vision instead of actions to mobilize the entire plastics value chain to achieve goals)
• Industry is working on three core areas:
  • Public policy development
  • Value chain coordination
  • Private sector investments
• Describes the need for plastic waste reduction and recycling research
• Notes role of advanced recycling for plastics
• States momentum for advanced recycling is accelerating across the United States

A link to the witnesses’ written statements and their testimony can be found here.