America’s Plastic Makers backs recycled content bill on podcast

By AI, Created 11:26 PM UTC, June 02, 2026, /AGP/ – Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, discussed the Recycled Materials Attribution Act on the Powering America Podcast on June 2, 2026. The bill would set federal standards for advanced recycling and could shape how manufacturers count recycled content, with supporters arguing it could boost jobs, investment and U.S. manufacturing.

Why it matters: - The Recycled Materials Attribution Act would create federal standards for advanced recycling. - The bill is intended to give manufacturers more regulatory certainty when they use recycled content. - Supporters say the policy could help reduce landfill waste and expand U.S. manufacturing capacity.

What happened: - Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, appeared on the Powering America Podcast to discuss the Recycled Materials Attribution Act. - The podcast episode was published June 2, 2026. - A full episode is available here. - Eisenberg said solving plastics recycling and end-of-life issues would help the environment and serve as a major economic driver for the U.S. economy.

The details: - The Recycled Materials Attribution Act is H.R. 7502. - U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y.-23, introduced the legislation on Feb. 12. - The bill has 10 House co-sponsors. - The co-sponsors are split evenly between parties, with five Republicans and five Democrats. - The co-sponsors include Vicente Gonzalez, Randy Weber, Jonathan Jackson, Gabe Evans, Donald Davis, Dan Crenshaw, Marc Veasey, Henry Cuellar, August Pfluger and Troy Balderson. - Eisenberg said advanced recycling can process hard-to-recycle plastics and support a more circular economy. - Eisenberg also said the technology could create thousands of jobs. - America’s Plastic Makers released an economic analysis that projected major gains if 50% of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream shift from landfills to recycling facilities. - The analysis said that shift could support 173,200 jobs, $12.8 billion in annual payroll and $48.7 billion in annual economic output nationwide. - The same analysis projected recycling facilities alone would directly generate $16.4 billion in economic output and support more than 43,000 direct jobs nationwide. - America’s Plastic Makers is a division of the American Chemistry Council that represents companies involved in plastics manufacturing. - Eisenberg leads the group’s advocacy on recycling, sustainability, manufacturing competitiveness and policies tied to a circular economy for plastics. - The Powering America Podcast features discussions with policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, economists and analysts. - The podcast covers energy infrastructure, electricity demand, manufacturing, permitting reform, artificial intelligence, and federal and state energy policy. - The podcast is available at the Powering America Podcast.

Between the lines: - The appearance puts industry support for advanced recycling in front of a policy audience focused on energy, manufacturing and infrastructure. - The even split of House co-sponsors suggests the legislation is being framed as a bipartisan manufacturing and jobs issue, not only a plastics policy debate. - The economic analysis is designed to show that recycling policy could influence both waste management and industrial growth.

What’s next: - The bill will likely depend on whether lawmakers view advanced recycling standards as a path to job creation, investment and waste reduction. - The co-sponsor list gives the measure an early bipartisan base, but broader congressional momentum will determine whether it advances further. - Industry groups are expected to keep arguing that federal rules could speed deployment of recycling technologies and expand capacity.

The bottom line: - America’s Plastic Makers is pushing Congress to treat advanced recycling as both an environmental tool and an economic development strategy.