U.S. Plastics Pact calls for phasing out 11 products and materials

The U.
S.
Plastics Convention recently released a "Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List" identifying 11 manufacturer products and materials, which lists 11 packaging-related products and materials that are currently "unable to scale in the U.
S.
" be reused, recycled or composted”, and is “not expected to remain closed loop in practice on a large scale by 2025”
.
This is a goal of the organization's 2025 roadmap, which is based on a global framework developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
.

The U.
S.
Plastics Pact includes more than 100 businesses, including material suppliers, packaging companies and major retailers, as well as nonprofit and government organizations
.
The press release notes that individual member companies do not necessarily endorse the list
.

The list includes the following items, in alphabetical order:

Tableware - Mono- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) intentionally added during the packaging or packaging manufacturing process
.

• Undetectable pigments such as carbon black
.

· Opaque or tinted PET (any color other than clear blue or green)
.

• Oxidative degradation additives, including oxidative biodegradable additives
.

PETG - polyethylene terephthalate in rigid packaging
.

· Problematic label construction, including adhesives, inks, materials (PETG, PVC, PLA, paper, etc.
)
.
Avoid formats/materials/functions that make packaging hazardous or non-recyclable according to APR design guidelines
.
Labels should comply with APR's preferred coverage and compatibility guidelines and be tested wherever ambiguity is found
.

· PS - polystyrene, including EPS (expanded polystyrene)
.

· PVC - polyvinyl chloride, including PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride)
.

· Agitator
.

· Straw
.

Note: Cutlery, straws, and blenders are considered problematic if they are considered non-reusable, non-recyclable, or non-compostable and used as accessory items to the primary container
.
For example, a pack of plastic cutlery provided with a prepared salad or a straw/stirr provided with a drink on-the-go would be defined as problematic, while cutlery, straws or whisk sold as a product would not
.

This list applies only to plastic packaging
.
Excludes medical plastics used in clinical, hospital and related laboratory and research environments
.

The full document, including an explanation of the criteria used to establish the list, is available on the American Plastics Pact website
.

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued a press release shortly after the list was announced, raising their concerns
.
For the Plastics Industry Association, the U.
S.
Plastics Convention is "a group of well-meaning companies and organizations" that "does not reflect the views of the wider plastics industry.

" In the ACC's estimates, the process "lacks a transparent third-party, data-driven and scientific approach, and .
.
.
appears to be rooted in ideology and predetermined, misleading outcomes
.
"

PLASTICS: The problem is the protocol

In a prepared statement, Tony Radoszewski, president and CEO of Plastics, said: "It is much easier to make a list than to live with the unintended consequences of phasing out certain products
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Product packaging is designed with a specific function or applications, even if those functions or applications are not obvious to the end customer
.
For example, plastics are often the most economical option and also the most environmentally friendly option for producers and consumers
.
Banning products can lead to more environmental impact of use Great alternative
.
"

Radoszewski added that the U.
S.
Plastics Covenant is free to decide which materials and products to sell or not sell, or which it deems "problematic," but what PLASTICS thinks is problematic is that the Covenant wants to tell others by limiting their choices.
how to run their business
.

ACC: Obsolescence of materials will hinder SDGs

The ACC believes that removing some of these materials by 2025 would be counterproductive to accelerating the development of a circular economy, and would actually "slow down the progress towards a low carbon future and reduce the ability to use more recycled materials in plastic packaging
.
"

Joshua Baca, vice president of ACC Plastics, said: “Consumers are looking for certainty in global supply chains, not further disruptions, against the backdrop of a global supply chain and inflation crisis, and the recommendations from the U.
S.
Plastics Pact will exacerbate the setbacks
.
In addition, The convention’s recommendations are likely to increase food waste, promote the use of many materials with a higher carbon footprint than plastic, and do little to achieve the ambitious sustainability goals of the plastic value chain
.
”

In its response, the ACC noted that the plastics industry was one of the first to set an ambitious circularity target in 2018, requiring 100% of plastic packaging to be reused, recycled or recycled
.
Baca said: “What we want is to work with the convention to leverage our industry expertise and the vast amount of work we do to achieve a circular economy for all materials by scaling up the growth of innovative recycling technologies – rather than promoting the use of certain types of A de facto ban on plastic packaging
.
"