Recycling Leadership Council finds US recycling at “breaking point,” Greenpeace says industry should carry costs

10 Feb 2021 --- The plastic waste crisis in the US is facing renewed scrutiny following the Recycling Leadership Council (RLC) publication of a blueprint detailing how the US government could unify its disparate recycling systems to create a more circular economy. 

While members of US Congress are lauding the blueprint and calling for immediate implementation, Greenpeace is accusing the RLC of attempting to shirk responsibility and force taxpayers to carry the burden caused by industry.

The RLC is composed of a range of industry stakeholders brought together by the Consumer Brands Association (CBA) early last year. Members include NGOs and packaging groups.

The blueprint was organized to address the issues faced by the US recycling system, which the RLC says is at “breaking point,” particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Greenpeace USA Oceans campaign director John Hocevar tells PackagingInsights this focus is a distraction, however, and certain materials should simply be outlawed. 

“We need to move away from throwaway packaging, especially unrecyclable plastic packaging, as quickly as possible. Policymakers should continue to ban the most dangerous types of plastic items, and incentivize a shift to reuse and package-free approaches.”

Almost 10,000 different systems of recycling currently exist in the US, while a lack of information and financial impetus is hindering effective unification, says the RLC. 

Blueprint for America’s recycling system 
The blueprint maintains the environmental impact of packaging waste can be resolved if policymakers and industry take a three pronged approach to reforming recycling infrastructure: 

• Create clear data collection and reporting requirements to further understand the packaging waste problem and inform the creation of a workable system. 
• Develop national standards and definitions across the nation’s recycling systems, providing clear guidance to states and municipalities and limiting confusion for consumers and packaging producers. 
• Support states with targeted infrastructure investments, tax credits and grants. 

The proposals have already gained traction among policymakers. 

The US currently has over 10,000 different recycling systems, causing confusion and restraining efforts to circularize the supply chain, the RLC stresses.Senator John Boozman, co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus, says, “with the help of the RLC, we continue to examine the best ways to address the challenges facing the recycling industry.” 

“We should implement long-term solutions to make recycling easier to help improve the environment.” 

These sentiments are echoed in non-profit circles as well, with advocacy group Ocean Conservancy praising the proposals. 

“We can and must do better in strengthening our recycling system through infrastructure investment. Streamlined data collection and reporting are important first steps to solving the global ocean plastics crisis,” Edith Cecchini, project director at Ocean Conservancy explains. 

“This report represents voices across sectors, and it is our hope that such a united call for collective action will kickstart the changes America’s waste management system so desperately needs.”

An industry decoy? 
While Greenpeace acknowledges the importance of improving research and infrastructure, Hocevar points to a lack of emphasis on reduction and reuse in the blueprint. 

“Instead of investing in expensive systems to sort and recycle most types of throwaway plastic, for example, we should acknowledge the harm they cause and design better approaches.”

Consumers are already aware of the problem, he asserts, but he stresses they are hindered by a lack of corporate responsibility.

“Corporations must give customers better options that are healthier for our communities and our planet. They must also stop misleading their customers about the recyclability of their products and packaging.”Greenpeace insists recycling will not end the waste crisis and calls for bans on harmful materials.

Hocevar says corporations must be held accountable, pointing to extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills and legislation introduced by state legislators from nine US states in a coordinated effort to hold producers responsible for the end-of-life management of packaging, particularly plastics.

Greenpeace also recently sued US supermarket chain Walmart for deceptive labeling practices on plastic products, an issue Hocevar asserts the government should be taking into its own hands. 

“Policymakers must get much more aggressive about protecting people and holding corporations accountable.”

RLC returns fire 
A spokesperson for the RLC has defended its blueprint, telling PackagingInsights recycling infrastructure has to be foundational to solve the US’ packaging waste problem. 

“Recycling alone cannot solve all of society’s packaging challenges. All of the industries represented on the RLC are taking individual action to address the packaging and recycling crisis in this country.”

All options must be on the table, the spokesperson argues. “This problem requires a united effort across industries to bring forward a range of new and unique solutions.”

They also point to the “many companies” in the US already developing reuse systems and replacing single-use packs. 

“It’s important to take the wide range of consumer needs into account, as different consumers will need and want different kinds of packaging.”

“But first, it is essential the US has a system that can handle the packaging in use and keep that valuable material out of landfills.”

By Louis Gore-Langton