Publisher’sPerspective

his sustainability issue of the Performance Plastics magazine is truly something to celebrate. As an industry, we have come a long way since 2012, when IAPD and many of its members began capturing and reporting metrics on recycling and sustainability programs. Now, IAPD members are sharing their case studies and stories with you in this issue.

Each company has their own motivations for why they invest in sustainability strategies and programs. For some, they have figured out the business math and found costs are about equal to what they were spending to landfill materials when they start recycling materials, reducing utility costs and other cost efficiencies. Others are motivated by more altruistic aspirations — because it is the right thing to do or wanting to leave the planet better for their children and grandchildren. Many are experiencing customer demands in the form of customer ESG questionnaires, requiring them to implement not only sustainability practices, but those of social and governance systems into their companies. Additionally, they must gather and report ESG metrics to their customers and other stakeholders. But for many, they are pursuing the “carrot vs. the stick.” They know that the government is aggressively finding ways to use the “stick” on the single-use plastics industry, and they are now going after the original source — fossil fuels. They know that it is only a matter of time before performance plastics are caught up in both the regulations and legislations affecting their counterparts.

You heard from me a couple of articles ago when I addressed how IAPD’s sustainability agenda and legislative advocacy agendas are tied together, as Washington, D.C. is focused on our industry’s ability to manage its waste and move towards a circular economy.

We learned over the past two years through the work of IAPD’s Recycling Task Force, and its launch of its Recycling Database, how lacking the U.S. mechanical recycling infrastructure is. Even when our members overcome their volume, contamination and logistical challenges, they still have issues finding mechanical recyclers to take their materials.

During the 67th IAPD Annual Convention, IAPD members convened to discuss the proposed legislative agenda put forth by IAPD’s Government Relations Committee. The legislative agenda includes supporting both mechanical and advanced recycling (chemical recycling), including supporting proposed legislation that is to be introduced in the coming months.

Members of the IAPD Board engaged in this discussion in the board meeting at convention. The Government Relations Committee had a similar discussion. Finally, later in the week, convention attendees had a discussion in an educational session on the same subject. All meetings came to the same conclusion. We need a proactive legislative agenda for our allies in Washington, D.C. to support as they continue to battle and fight off the bans on, substitutions of and taxes on plastics.

Our proactive legislative agenda needs to be asking for more support and funding for the mechanical recycling infrastructure, as well as support for the recycling bill proposed by Representative Larry Bucshon (R-IN) that supports advanced recycling as a manufacturing process, versus a waste management process, making the permitting process easier. It will also help accelerate the construction of new infrastructure for advanced recycling. Representative Bucshon is retiring from Congress this year, so IAPD and its allies are actively seeking a new bill sponsor to take up the mantle for this bill. This will be one of our goals for the IAPD Performance Plastics Congressional Fly-In in May.

As soon as we find a new sponsor for the bill, we will update IAPD’s Legislative Agenda to show the specific bill we are advocating for. For now, IAPD’s Legislative Agenda, page 7, outlines both IAPD’s positions on mechanical and advanced recycling, as well as the key points we make when we introduce ourselves to legislators in Washington, D.C. This is used as a quick visual reference tool.

IAPD cares about advanced recycling because our legislators care about advanced recycling, that is the conversation they are having right now. We must have a seat at the table and be part of the larger conversation. We are also inserting mechanical recycling into that conversation to have a balanced discussion.

One of the biggest reasons that has already been mentioned, but is worth repeating, is that we need a proactive legislative agenda for allies in Washington, D.C. to support while they continue to battle and fight off the bans on, substitutions of and taxes on plastics.

It is not enough anymore to introduce ourselves by saying who we are not (for example, we are not single-use plastics), in fact, even to our champions, that message doesn’t do us any favors. We are still fossil-fuel-based plastics. Even though our plastics are designed to last longer, are recyclable and are used in critical applications, they need more. Our allies don’t want to hear us throw our “cousins,” the single-use plastics industry, under the bus; however, we can distinguish ourselves.

Adding advanced recycling — specifically the language within the proposed Bucshon Bill — calling for eased EPA permitting and adding more advanced recycling infrastructure, along with our other policy-ask of more funding for mechanical recycling infrastructure from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, together creates our positive and proactive policy position. This is our position that is in lieu of the bans on, substitutions of and taxes on plastics. If we can tell legislators how more plastics can get recycled and back into the stream, creating a circular economy, then we have a better chance fighting off the harmful legislation and regulations.

Our industry has a powerful collective story to tell. They want to hear it from you, no matter where you are on your sustainability journey. They need to understand the challenges you are facing, the accomplishments you have already made and the plans for the future. More importantly, they need to understand how they can help.