South Carolina Can Be a Leader in Tackling Plastic Waste

Plastics play an important role in helping society reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and ultimately, climate change. They also provide important protection and sterility for medical supplies and equipment, as well as for food and beverage containers.

Increasingly, used plastic can be a valuable resource to preserve rather than waste that needs disposal. Advanced recycling, which breaks plastics down to their molecular building blocks, can complement traditional recycling in the U.S. Traditional methods were designed to predominantly recycle newspapers and bottles, but technological breakthroughs in advanced recycling allow other types of plastic to be recycled as well.

The plastics industry acknowledges that plastic waste in the environment is a global problem, but one that can be solved.

America’s plastic makers are dedicated to ending plastic waste. They are pursuing a mission to end plastic packaging waste by creating more circular systems for the ways in which we use – and reuse – plastics.

South Carolina is uniquely positioned to become a leader in tackling environmental waste through its renowned manufacturing sector. A critical first step would be updating the state’s laws to provide the regulatory framework necessary to encourage investment in new technologies such as advanced recycling. Ultimately, the goal is to help keep post-use plastics out of landfills and out of our environment, turn them into new materials, attract new businesses and support job creation across the state as part of the circular economy.