I’ve worked in Washington, DC, for quite some time (don’t ask!), and one activity continues to leave me awestruck: Americans traveling to our nation’s capital to petition Congress for better laws.

Sure, our Senators and Representatives hold meetings back in their states/districts, but there’s something magical about watching constituents meet them here, where they work. Voters elected them and sent them here to build a better nation. And voters can come here and talk to them where they work. It’s always inspiring to see.

That’s what happened this week as hundreds of people from across the nation who work in the plastics industry traveled to Capitol Hill to tell their elected reps: We’re proud of what we do. And we can do even better. With a little help.

America’s plastics industry is a crown jewel of American manufacturing. We make the materials that take people to the moon… and bandage our daughter’s skinned knee.

Autos. Homes. Solar/wind energy. Electronics. Medical miracles. Sports gear. We make them possible.

And we proudly make these materials here in America.

When we make plastics in America, we create well-paying American jobs (the plastics industry supports nearly a million U.S. jobs). We invest in American manufacturing and our communities. We keep innovation alive here at home to help our economy thrive. And we create the steady, reliable supply of plastic materials that supports America’s essential industries.

Plus, we want to make as much new plastics out of used plastics as feasible. We want to remanufacture our plastic resources, which will unleash new jobs and innovation and a new era in plastics sustainability.

So, folks who are members of the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council and the Plastics Industry Association asked Congress for a little help: common-sense policy changes that could spur remanufacturing innovation and help build a more sustainable future.

• Support legislation/policies that recognize advanced recycling technologies for plastics as manufacturing… and recognize plastics made using these technologies as recycled plastic. (Advanced recycling technologies convert plastics into raw materials that can be remanufactured into new plastics and other products, dramatically increasing the types and amounts of plastics that can be recycled.)

• Support the STEWARD Act (S. 361) and the RIAA Act (H.R. 2145) that would increase recycling access across the nation, focused on communities that lack access. Among other benefits, these bipartisan bills would increase the amount of plastics available for recycling.

These simple policy changes – focused on market-based incentives – will help America become the leader in plastics remanufacturing.

Of course, public policies should strengthen our ability to manufacture what we need here at home. Public policies also should strengthen our ability to remanufacture these materials.

So, that’s basically what these constituents from across our nation told their elected representatives: We’re proud of what we do. And with a little help from Congress, we can do even better. Our nation can do better.