Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin recently announced his plan to encourage what is known as advanced recycling, a technology that opens the door to what could become a major expansion in plastic recycling.Advanced recycling is an umbrella term for technologies that break down used plastics into their molecular building blocks so they can be remade into new products. These technologies work with traditional recycling technologies to expand what can be recycled, creating raw materials for domestic manufacturing.“Advanced recycling could help add more than 173,000 jobs and nearly $13 billion in annual payroll to our economy, delivering on President Trump’s promise to bring good-paying manufacturing jobs back home,” Zeldin said. “Under Trump, EPA is committed to making America a leader in this emerging technology.”

ZELDIN SAYS ‘A LOW-VOLUME RELEASE’ MAY CONTAIN GARDEN GROVE CHEMICAL CRISIS: WHAT TO KNOW

As the president of America’s Plastic Makers, which advocates the plastics industry and supports the modernization and growth of all viable forms of recycling, I applaud this shift.

When technology evolves, the law should evolve with it, so we can unlock innovation, protect our communities, and strengthen domestic manufacturing.