In signing Senate Bill 1164 into law, Virginia joined nine other U.S. states in enabling greater adoption and expansion of innovative advanced recycling technologies, with four other states since passing similar legislation. As in many other states, Virginia’s legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Virginia are taking the lead in encouraging the growth of advanced recycling, which ultimately helps to eliminate plastic waste in the environment. Investment in advanced recycling facilities also creates jobs, improves local economies and supports local demand from consumers for recycling programs and centers that turn used plastic once destined for the landfill into valuable new materials.
In Virginia alone, converting just 25% of the recoverable plastics into new products using advanced recycling could generate nearly $179 million in estimated economic output annually.
“With this step, Virginia takes a leading role among states in helping tackle one of our planet’s most pressing environmental challenges: eliminating plastic waste in our environment. Signing SB 1164 into law moves the Commonwealth closer to enjoying the economic and environmental benefits of advanced recycling manufacturing,” said Joshua Baca, the America Chemistry Council’s Vice President of Plastics.
Advancing the circular economy—in which products are designed so that their lifecycle leads back to becoming raw material for new products—moves us closer to cleaner air and waterways, less pollution and waste, and a healthier planet.
Manufacturers, retailers and recyclers, as well as communities, nonprofits and governments are supporting advanced recycling as an innovative solution for solving the plastic waste challenge. These facilities will help us unlock a brand new, circular American industry that will change the way we think about what it means to reuse and recycle.
As the nation recovers from the pandemic, federal, state and local support for technologies that create green jobs and local tax revenue while keeping our communities cleaner and more livable can have a tremendous positive impact.
Continue to visit America’s Plastic Makers: Making Sustainable ChangeSM to learn more about policies and investments that support innovative new recycling technologies that help turn used plastic into a valuable resource to make new products.
