Proposed Legislation Seeks to Reclassify Chemical Recycling as Manufacturing
Rep. Crenshaw introduced the Recycling Technology Innovation Act, aiming to reclassify certain chemical recycling processes as manufacturing to streamline permitting and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters, like ACC, view it as an economic driver, while critics, including environmental groups and some Democrats, fear it could erode Clean Air Act protections and lead to increased pollution. The bill specifies processes eligible for reclassification, excluding those generating electricity or waste byproducts, fueling an ongoing federal debate.
A new federal bill, the Recycling Technology Innovation Act, introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, seeks to reclassify specific chemical recycling processes as manufacturing rather than solid waste incineration units. This reclassification aims to provide regulatory certainty for the advanced recycling industry, which proponents like the American Chemistry Council (ACC) argue is crucial for economic growth and domestic supply chains, especially in states like Texas. Chemical recycling, also known as advanced or molecular recycling, involves breaking down plastics to their molecular building blocks for new products. Supporters contend that regulating these technologies as manufacturing, given they transform used plastics into new materials, would simplify permitting and encourage investment.However, critics, including environmental organizations like Greenpeace and some Democrats, express significant concerns that this reclassification could weaken environmental safeguards under the Clean Air Act. They argue that these processes can generate pollution and question the economic viability and recycling efficacy claims. The U.S. EPA previously declined to reclassify pyrolysis, a type of chemical recycling, in recent air quality standards. The proposed bill outlines a petition process for companies to request exclusion from solid waste incineration definitions, requiring public comment. It specifies eligible processes like pyrolysis and gasification that produce products, excluding those primarily generating electricity, heat, steam, or waste byproducts such as ash, soot, or char.
