
Leading packaging executive Saloni Doshi has today urged Congress to expedite two landmark recycling acts, mitigating the risk of Trump axing the bill and catalyzing further decline in plastic recycling rates.
The packaging boss fears that failing to pass the bills will threaten the nation’s position on the UN's deadlocked Global Plastics Treaty. In August, it was reported that the US would support caps on plastic production to lower pollution, but Trump could undermine this position (Reuters). The intervention comes after UN negotiations about a global plastic treaty collapsed over the weekend, with countries failing to agree on a deal to tackle plastic pollution.
Doshi's comments follow fast on the heels of an open letter inked by a coalition of packaging and recycling companies. The group has called on leaders in the House of Representatives to pass slow-moving recycling bills by the end of the year (Packaging Dive), and Doshi is pushing for a more urgent solution to the bottleneck. The bills – The Recycling and Composting Accountability Act and the Recycling Infrastructure Accessibility Act – have passed the Senate several times but have stalled in the House.
The legislation seeks to improve rural recycling and composting access, boost data collection, and inject funding into improving recycling infrastructure. Doshi believes that enhancing sorting technology and collection systems could accelerate recycling rates and increase the supply of recycled content in the US.
For Doshi, passing key recycling legislation before Trump comes to office is vital. While Doshi recognizes that recycling rates haven’t markedly improved under Biden, she is confident that passing the acts will spark improvements beyond his tenure.National recycling rates for PET, PE and PP – plastics Doshi notes are readily recyclable and have high demand from reclaimers – reached a meager 21% in 2020 (Waste 360).
In 2021, overall recycling rates for all plastic types nosedived to just 5% (NPR). All the while, the demand for recycled content is increasing. For brands to meet their recycled content targets for 2030, the demand for recycled PET alone will be three times higher than supply (McKinsey & Company).
Saloni Doshi, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at EcoEnclose, said: “There has never been a greater urgency to fast-track recycling legislation. More and more brands are taking up recycled packaging. If we want to achieve true packaging circularity, we must boost recycling rates and increase the amount of recycled content available to businesses.
“Crucially, The House must pass these important recycling bills immediately. If the House doesn’t pass the bills under Biden, they won’t pass under Trump. Environmental issues are at the bottom of his agenda and the legislation might come to a grinding halt under his leadership.
“Recycling rates in the United States are dwindling. The bills aren’t necessarily a silver bullet for these problems, but they’ll unlock new ways to improve recycling rates. The bills have potential to significantly improve recycling infrastructure, access, and accountability, laying the foundation for a stronger recycling system going forward.”
Saloni Doshi, CEO at EcoEnclose - a sustainable packaging provider for over 50,000 eCommerce brands. Saloni has spearheaded the research, development, & launch of entirely new sustainable packaging products inc. seaweed, hemp & ag-waste.