In a move to overhaul how the United States handles its mounting plastic waste, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a new regulatory push to fast-track \u201cadvanced recycling\u201d technologies across the country.<\/p>\n
The initiative, detailed by Zeldin in a Friday op-ed for The Hill, centers on a process called pyrolysis. Unlike traditional mechanical recycling, pyrolysis uses high heat in oxygen-free environments to break down plastic at a molecular level, turning it back into a raw oil that is nearly identical to crude oil.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlastic isn\u2019t just being reused \u2014 it is being unmade and reborn as a valuable raw material all over again,\u201d Zeldin stated.<\/p>\n
READ: SCOTUS And Appeals Court Hand Wins To South Carolina In Religious Liberty Fight<\/a><\/p>\n The push comes as the U.S. faces a significant waste challenge. According to EPA data, the U.S. generated 35.7 million tons of plastic waste in 2018, with 27 million tons of that ending up in landfills. Currently, the U.S. operates fewer than 10 advanced recycling facilities, trailing behind Europe, which is projected to have 65 such plants by 2030.<\/p>\n Zeldin argued that the primary bottleneck is a \u201cregulatory mismatch\u201d where the Clean Air Act classifies pyrolysis as \u201cincineration\u201d or waste management rather than manufacturing. The EPA is now seeking public comment on a rule change to reclassify these facilities as manufacturing sites.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder the current rules, advanced recycling facilities face the same restrictions as incinerators and landfills, making them costly and difficult to build,\u201d Zeldin noted. \u201cBy changing that classification, we would free companies to invest and build with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n READ: U.S. Supreme Court Hands Texas A Major Win In Battle Over Congressional Districts<\/a><\/p>\n The economic stakes are high. The domestic plastics industry already employs over 660,000 workers and generated $358 billion in gross output in 2023. The EPA estimates that scaling up advanced recycling could add an additional 173,000 jobs and nearly $13 billion in annual payroll to the American economy.<\/p>\n The administrator pointed to ExxonMobil\u2019s Baytown Complex in Texas as a primary example of success, where 50,000 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics have already been processed into raw materials. By cutting what Zeldin described as \u201cunnecessary regulatory reporting burdens,\u201d the administration aims to clear the way for nearly 90 potential facilities currently stalled in the planning stages.<\/p>\n \u201cIf America does not invest in scaling this technology now, it stands to lose not just an environmental opportunity, but an enormous economic opportunity as well,\u201d Zeldin warned.<\/p>\n Please make a small\u00a0donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism<\/a>. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.<\/p>\n