WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019)—The American Chemistry Council (ACC) today praised the Senate’s introduction of the Save Our Seas Act 2.0 and thanked Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for continuing to lead a collaborative, bipartisan effort to address the problem of marine debris.
“We are excited to work with Congress toward the passage of this important and much needed legislation,” said Steve Russell, vice president of ACC’s Plastics Division. “America’s plastic makers strongly support the bill’s focus on developing ways to repurpose our plastic resources. And we welcome new opportunities to work with other governments to increase knowledge sharing and improve plastic waste management and recycling infrastructure.”
The Save Our Seas Act 2.0 seeks to support scientists and agencies in studying innovative ways to repurpose used plastics in and beyond infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, and to study technologies for converting used plastics into chemicals, feedstocks and other products for new manufacturing. These steps are critical for accelerating the move toward a circular economy in the United States and abroad.
Additionally, passage of this bill would create a state revolving fund to strengthen our domestic recycling infrastructure. In 2018, America’s plastics makers established a goal of making all plastic packaging in the United States recyclable or recoverable by 2030 and for all plastic packaging to be recycled or recovered by 2040. A collaborative effort—involving government, industry, recyclers, and other stakeholders—will be critical to achieving these goals.
Many of America’s plastic makers are among the founders of and contributors to the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a new nonprofit with a goal of deploying $1.5 billion to help develop the systems, knowledge, and infrastructure needed to collect and repurpose waste, including in regions where most environmental leakage occurs. Other key members of the Alliance include brand owners, plastic processors and recyclers.