Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs H.B. 2485 into law, which will help ensure more plastics are reused again and again while attracting new jobs to the state. With his signature, Governor Parson brings to 20 the number of states that have signed legislation that recognizes the benefits of advanced recycling into law since 2017, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
Advanced recycling is a manufacturing process that converts used plastics into high-quality new plastics without incinerating solid waste. With advanced recycling technologies, more types of plastics reportedly can be recycled compared to traditional recycling technologies, including some mixed and soiled plastics. The virgin-quality plastics made from advanced recycling have been approved for food, pharmaceutical and medical use, among other things. A 2021 report by Closed Loop Partners estimates that advanced recycling could double the plastics packaging recycling rate in the U.S. and Canada by 2030.
H.B. 2485 will appropriately regulate advanced recycling technologies as manufacturing operations rather than solid waste disposal, which will encourage investments in advanced recycling facilities and new manufacturing jobs for Missouri residents, according to the ACC.
“This is a great opportunity for Missouri and exciting progress toward a more circular economy for plastics,” says Chris Jahn, president & CEO of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), in a press release from the organization. “Over the past five years, 40% of states in this country have signed advanced recycling legislation into law, demonstrating that recognition of these innovative technologies and their immense potential is rapidly growing. Advanced recycling diverts plastics from landfills, decreases greenhouse gas emissions and helps create new jobs and revenue streams. In other words, advanced recycling keeps more plastics out of the environment and in the economy.”
More than 50 products in the global marketplace already use plastics made from advanced recycling, according to the ACC.
Read the press release at www.americanchemistry.com
