The country's recycling infrastructure is to be reformed. A target for the recycled content in packaging is also planned.
 

Republican Congressman Dr. Larry Bucshon and Democrat Don Davis have presented a draft for a revised recycling law, Kunststoff Information reports. Bucshon and Davis say the aim of the law is to combat the ever-growing mountain of plastic waste in landfills. Among other things, the draft would propose a mandatory recyclate content of 30 percent in plastic packaging by 2030, as well as the development of national recycling standards by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It also is said to include the extended producer responsibility called for by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), as well as bans on some disposable plastic products and a moratorium on the construction of new plastic production plants. In addition, the law is intended to create a legal framework for so-called new recycling technologies, in particular for chemical recycling. The aim of the members of parliament's proposals is to boost private-sector investment in the collection, sorting and recycling of plastics, they said. Unlike an initiative by Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley from October 2023, with which the darft of Bucshon and Davis overlaps but which is stricter, the parties joint draft is said to have a better chance of being implemented. Especially since industry and associations had also signaled their approval. However, it is considered unlikely that it will be implemented by the US presidential election on November 5, 2024.
 
Sources:

• Kunststoff Information (25.9.2024)
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