US Plastics Pact releases 2024-25 Impact Report

The U.S. Plastics Pact (USPP) has released its 2024-25 Impact Report, detailing continued progress toward a more circular plastics system in the United States while underscoring the sustained commitment and collaboration required to deliver impact at scale.

The Walpole, New Hampshire-based organization says the report comes at a pivotal moment as it builds on the foundation it established under the USPP Roadmap to 2025 and advances, through the USPP member-driven Roadmap 2.0, into what it calls a more execution-focused phase of work.

RELATED: US Plastics Pact releases EPR policy position paper | US Plastics Pact position paper addresses physical, chemical recycling

“This Impact Report captures how our work is evolving,” USPP President and CEO Jonathan Quinn says. “Through our Roadmap 2.0, we are delivering more tangible, action-oriented outcomes, from practical position papers and best practice policy guidance to cross-value-chain initiatives and tools that help companies evaluate their businesses and make informed decisions across USPP targets.”

The organization says its new report highlights steady, measurable progress. The report claims 54 percent of plastic packaging placed on the market by USPP members, also known as Activators, is now reusable, recyclable or compostable, up from 36 percent in 2021. Additionally, the report claims the average use of postconsumer recycled or responsibly sourced biobased content has increased to 14 percent, up from 8 percent in 2021.

USPP also says more companies are choosing to avoid items on the organization’s Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List.

USPP says the report shows “clear momentum” while underscoring the scale and complexity of the work ahead. The report claims that recycling rates remain constrained by gaps in infrastructure, end market demand and consistent national data and emphasizes that scaling reuse systems and recycled content markets will require sustained engagement across the value chain, including from companies, policymakers and communities.

“Progress is real, but it is not automatic,” Quinn says. “The Impact Report takes a clear-eyed view of these challenges, outlining where progress is building and where additional alignment and investment are still needed to achieve circular outcomes at scale. USPP Activators understand that circularity is a long-term transformation. Roadmap 2.0 is about giving them the tools, clarity and collaboration they need to turn commitment into durable, real-world impact.”

The USPP says its report offers transparency into progress to date, clarity on priorities ahead and a practical foundation for continued action to build a circular plastics economy in the U.S.