(57a) Plastic Policy Developments for Chemical Engineers 2023

Plastic policy and foundations for new policy continue to develop rapidly, globally, nationally and in individual states. The world is meeting to discuss solutions to the plastic waste and pollution crisis in the United Nation negotiations for the March 2, 2022 Resolution to end plastic pollution with an international legally binding instrument by 2024, with its third meeting in November, 2023. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a draft plastic recycling strategy, requesting public comment on all aspects of plastic. Individual states like California have made significant progress regarding developing a toxicity metric for microplastic exposure, sampling and monitoring protocol for microplastic pollution, banning problematic plastic uses and imposing extended producer responsibility upon plastic producers, while others have banned such approaches. This discussion will review the current status of plastic thought and developing future policy and regulation regarding plastic production, plastic waste and plastic pollution globally, in the United States and among the states including: ongoing global efforts to develop an international agreement to end plastic pollution by 2024 including the emerging hierarchy of approaches to mitigating plastic pollution as well as areas of agreement, convergence, conflict and aggressive strategic movement in this space, unpacking these issues for chemical engineers; how current plastic design and plastic waste management fails to prevent plastic pollution and renders recycling problematic; where the United States falls short in implementing delegated federal legislation and impact of environmental justice authority; range of action by individual states and potential issues arising from this current patch work quilt of state specific plastic legislation. Attendees should gain a better understanding of the potential for future regulation and insight into business risk management approaches for those entities relying significantly on plastic in their business models, whether producing plastic or simply utilizing plastic in daily business activities.

With this presentation you will:

1. Learn the current status and potential future policy approaches that may govern plastic products in order to better manage plastic waste and mitigate plastic pollution;
2. Understand the fundamental barriers posed by the current heterogenous nature of post-use plastic in reuse and recycling;
3. Appreciate the business risk posed by failure to properly manage plastic waste and prevent plastic pollution arising from recent developments in characterizing risk from plastic pollution to human health and the environment.
4. Gain insight helpful in developing new approaches that may insulate businesses from the uncertainty of future plastic regulation.