“Since they were first developed, plastics have grown to make hospitals safer, surgeries less invasive, patient care more sterile, safer, effective and affordable. In the century and a half since they were invented, plastics have also made cars, trucks and planes more efficient, more affordable, more environmentally friendly and ultimately safer.
We agree with everyone in this room that there is a plastic waste problem. The urgency of the situation cries out for a solution more thoughtful than simply saying no to a material that lowers greenhouse gas emissions, is more efficient to produce than other materials like metal, paper and glass, and has delivered numerous benefits to society as a whole.
The industry itself has stepped up to this challenge by innovating like it always has—developing new chemistries, investing in new recycling and collection technologies, developing ways to convert plastic waste into energy and creating the supply to meet the demand for recycled plastic content. Still, we need the support of federal, state and local authorities to ensure that no American has to wonder if the water bottle they toss in the blue bin will end up being recycled or if it will end up as landfill fodder.”
