Public interest in physical and chemical recycling technologies has grown alongside increasing concern over plastic waste. While these technologies are not new, recent efforts to scale them for industrial use have accelerated. Evaluating both their benefits and their associated concerns is essential to determining their appropriate role in advancing a circular economy for plastic packaging. As these technologies evolve, it is critical to establish clear policy frameworks and performance standards to ensure they contribute meaningfully to reducing virgin plastic use and advancing circularity, without compromising environmental or public health.

The U.S. Plastics Pact recently released a new position paper on Physical and Chemical Recycling. The position is the result of a year-long effort by representatives spanning across the plastics value chain, researching literature to add to their own knowledge before developing a holistic approach to identifying where these technologies are necessary to meaningfully advance circularity and the appropriate safeguards to protect environmental and human health. Join us for a dynamic panel exploring the role of these technologies in a circular economy – including their place in the waste hierarchy, what complementary to mechanical recycling really means, important principles to drive transparency and trust, and regulatory best practices to facilitate the best environmental and human health outcomes.