Want a Resilient U.S. Supply Chain? Make Plastic in America

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Want a Resilient U.S. Supply Chain? Make Plastic in America

America’s Plastic Makers^TM: “We’re a Big Part of the U.S. Supply Chain”

February 19, 2025

If we want a resilient U.S. supply chain, we need to focus on making plastic in America.

America’s Plastic Makers make the materials that supply nearly every American economic sector. Plastic is essential to rebuilding our nation’s ability to move people, energy, goods and water while driving down greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic supports 26%+ of all U.S. manufacturing.

To make America the most competitive manufacturing country in the world, we need a reliable, steady, domestic supply of plastic materials.

America’s Plastic Makers: “We’re a big part of the U.S. supply chain.”

Some quick examples of economic sectors that Americans value… and that rely on plastic.

Our Soldiers/Military

Ever look at a soldier’s protective gear?

Ballistic helmets and shields. Body armor. Protective eyewear/goggles. Knee/elbow pads. Combat boots. Night vision. Even exoskeletons.

Plus, our armed forces use radar absorbing stealth technology. Drones. Armored vehicles. Lightweight aircraft. Helicopters (rotor blades).

All made using tough, lightweight plastic.

Our Protectors

First responders. Firefighters. Smoke jumpers. Search & rescuers. These are our heroes. The men and women who know they might not come back after helping save us.

To protect themselves, they’re sheathed in plastic from head to toe. Helmets and face gear. Turnout gear (jackets and pants). Gloves. Boots. Self-contained breathing apparatus. Protective hoods.

What’s protecting our protectors? Plastic.

Check out this video on Protecting Our Heroes: A Tribute to Safety & Innovation

Medical/Life-saving Devices

Plastic helps make modern medical miracles possible. And deters preventable disease.

Next time you’re in your doctor’s office, look around. Nearly all the medical equipment and tools are either made with or protected by plastic.

And that life-saving surgery? Same thing. Our heart stents and valves. Our spinal disc replacements. Orthopedic implants and joint replacements. Sutures and surgical mesh.

At this point, we take shatterproof blood bags and tubing for granted. As well as the simple things, like a bandage on our little girl’s skinned knee. Plastic.

How durable medical plastic contributes to sustainability…

Solar Energy

What does plastic have to do with solar energy?

Most solar panels are basically boxes full of photovoltaic (PV) cells that turn light into electricity. PV cells are really fragile. They need protection. For a long, long time.

The PV cells basically are enveloped in multiple plastics to protect them from the elements. These plastics bond, seal, and insulate. And they’re transparent and UV/temperature/corrosion resistant.

Plastic protects. So we can transition to a cleaner, brighter, more sustainable future.

More about solar energy and plastic…

Wind Energy

Massive wind turbine blades must be light enough to move with the wind… plus strong enough to handle years of punishing rotation without twisting or gyrating.

So, what are these blades typically made of? Plastic. Actually, mostly a composite matrix of plastic with other materials (often fibers). These composites are strong, lighter weight, and durable – well-suited for spinning around a rotor and creating low carbon electricity.

To transition to low carbon wind power and a cleaner, brighter, more sustainable future, we’re gonna need a lot of (plastic) wind turbines.

More about wind energy and plastic…

Airplanes

Next time you’re sitting on an airplane, look around.

Other than the seat belt buckle and frames that hold the seat, pretty much everything you see or touch is made with plastic. The cabin walls and ceilings. The overhead compartment. The carpeting. The comfy (meh) seat cushioning and arm rests. Your seat belt and tray table and seat back pocket. Even the windows. Plastic.

Why? Plastic is hygienic. Easy to clean. Comfortable to the touch. Easy to mold into pretty much any shape.

But the biggest reason? Sustainability. Plastic is strong… and it’s lightweight. And weight is one of the biggest factors affecting an airplane’s fuel efficiency. Lightening the weight lightens your flight’s environmental footprint.

Agriculture /Aquaculture /Food

Plastic plays a huge role in delivering fresh food – and reducing food loss and waste – in every stage of the food production process: farming (plants, livestock, and fish), processing, distribution, storage, retailing, and households.

Examples: Mulch and weed blockers, irrigation, greenhouses, seed trays, tree nets, fishing nets, milk tubes, lightweight crates and storage bins for transport, thin/transparent supermarket packaging that extends shelf life.

The result: Boosted crop yields, improved nutrient uptake, less soil runoff, less water used, fewer pests, improved sanitation, less need for toxic herbicides… And less food waste in the supermarket and your home, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“A little bit of plastic packaging can prevent a whole lot of food waste.”

Our Houses

The U.S. has a housing shortage. And a shortage of energy-efficient housing.

To build energy-efficient homes (or retrofit poorly insulated, leaky homes), we’re gonna need a lot of high-performance building materials that keep outdoor air where it belongs: outdoors.

Plastic building products – spray and rigid foam insulation, house wrap, window frames, caulks/sealants and more – play crucial roles in sealing a building “envelope” against heating/ cooling losses, allowing us to save more energy and money and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

And these energy-saving plastic products are readily available today. Let’s use them now to save energy/$ and keep your family comfortable.

More about our homes and plastic insulation…

Our Cars and Trucks

DYK that +/- 50% of today’s cars/trucks is plastic? Passenger seats, bumpers, side panels, airbags, dashboards, carpeting, soundproofing, A/V/navigation systems, headlamps, exhaust manifolds, etc.

That 50% is measured by volume. But because plastic is light weight yet strong, all those plastic components add up to only 10% by weight.

Why is this important? Because carmakers want to make high performance, fuel efficient and safe cars. They do this by using advanced, lightweight plastic and composite materials.

“Few innovations provide a more wide-ranging performance and efficiency advantage than reducing weight. All factors of a vehicle’s capabilities – acceleration, handling, braking, safety, efficiency – can improve through the use of advanced, lighter materials.”
Ford Motor Company

Here’s how carmakers improve performance, fuel efficiency, and safety…

Computer chips

Computer chips are everywhere (almost). Our cars, phones, laptops, gaming consoles, medical devices, cell towers, smart speakers, drones, AI…

Just like solar energy, plastic plays critical roles in the manufacture of computer chips: protection and efficiency.

A plastic encapsulant does what it sounds like: it encapsulates the chips to protect them from moisture, dust and damage.
Similarly, a plastic passivation layer is the topmost layer of the chip that protects the metal interconnects while leaving openings for electrical contacts.
Plastic – plus additional plastic coatings – are used to make circuit boards that are durable, heat-resistant, and electrically stable.
A plastic substrate (interposer/PCB layer) between the chip and the circuit board provides structural support and electrical connections.
A plastic “thermal interface” helps move the heat from the chip to its heat sink, helping cool the chip.

For our nation to lead in chip making, U.S. manufacturers will need a steady, reliable, domestic supply of plastic.

Water

America’s water infrastructure is crumbling and needs to be replaced. The question is: replaced with what? With the same old-technology materials that are corroding and bursting? Or with new advanced materials such as durable, modern plastic pipes?

If we’re going to spend hundreds of billions of dollars upgrading our nation’s water moving systems, shouldn’t we also upgrade our materials so we can build a more durable national infrastructure?

Plastic pipes are replacing traditional materials in many applications because they typically are more economical, more durable, use less energy, and perform better… which improves the resiliency of our communities. And which just may prevent that dreaded, hours-long commute due to another busted water main in your neighborhood…

Wanna see what happens when an aging water pipe fails…?

More about U.S. water systems and plastic…

Sports Gear

Pickle ball anyone? Plastic paddle, ball, net, coating on the court…

When you think about any modern sport, chances are pretty good that plastic gear is involved… gear that not only helps protect against injuries but also that helps drive athletic performance.

Example: Snowboarders/skiers use high-tech plastic boards/skis, bindings, poles (skiing), boots, pads, gloves, helmets, goggles and outerwear/gear.

Surfboards, tennis racquets, golf clubs, bikes, kayaks, hiking and climbing gear/ropes, skateboards, rollerblades, goggles, helmets, pads, balls/pucks, yoga mats, sneakers and sports clothing. Even gymnastics matts and pole vault poles. All made with plastic and high-tech composites.

Lightweight. Strong. Shock-absorbing. Waterproof & weather resistant.

Helping protect top athletes and your eight-year-old. Plastic.

If we want a resilient U.S. supply chain, we need to focus on making plastic in America.

To make America the most competitive manufacturing country in the world, we need a reliable, steady, domestic supply of plastic materials.

Want a Resilient U.S. Supply Chain? Make Plastic in America

Plastic supports 26%+ of all U.S. manufacturing.