US Plastics Pact releases packaging Roadmap 2.0

The U.S. Plastics Pact has released its latest strategic plan to help companies change how they design, use and reuse plastics in their packaging.

The Walpole, New Hampshire-based organization's Roadmap 2.0 is an actionable plan designed to transform the use of plastics, focusing on practical steps to create a circular economy where plastic packaging is reused, recycled, composted and kept within the economy. The comprehensive plan builds upon successes and lessons learned from the initial Roadmap to 2025, setting forth updated and ambitious targets to address plastic scrap and drive systemic change across the entire plastics value chain.

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“The current reliance on virgin plastics is unsustainable,” U.S Plastics Pact Executive Director Emily Tipaldo says. “Roadmap 2.0 aims to make a tangible difference by changing how we design, use and reuse plastics. The focus is on practical, achievable steps companies can take to contribute to a circular economy.”

The U.S. Plastics Pact says the original Roadmap to 2025 was a "bold initiative to catalyze immediate action in the absence of a federal strategy,” and over the past four years the organization has seen significant process in plastics circularity, including:

• the creation of a Problematic & Unnecessary Materials List, which led to a decrease in the use of problematic or unnecessary plastics from 14 percent to 8 percent;
• an increase in the amount of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging from 37 percent to 47.7 percent;
• an increase in postconsumer recycled or responsibly sourced biobased content in packaging from 7 percent to 9.4 percent;
• an expansion in the U.S. Plastics Pact from 62 to more than 130 dedicated Activators; and
• the introduction of the PCR Procurement Toolkit, PCR Certification Principles and the Design for Circularity Playbook, which will be published this summer.

Building on these advancements, the ever-changing landscape requires companies to continue pushing boundaries, according to the U.S. Plastics Pact. Roadmap 2.0 is designed to carry forward the unfinished targets from the original plan and introduce new objectives based on the experiences of U.S. Plastics Pact Activators, including:

• Reuse innovations. By making reuse a core target, the organization says single-use plastics can be significantly reduced.
• Design for circularity. The organization says all plastic packaging will be designed and manufactured to be reusable, recyclable and compostable.
• Elimination of problematic plastics. By 2030, the pact outlines that all items on the expanded Problematic & Unnecessary Materials List will be eliminated and virgin plastic will be reduced by 30 percent, ensuring that only essential plastics are produced and used in ways that support sustainability.
• Effective recycling. The plan aims to recycle 50 percent of plastic packaging and establish the necessary infrastructure to achieve this at scale. In comparison, plastic packaging will achieve an average of 30 percent postconsumer recycled or responsibly sourced biobased content.
• Health and community impact. The plan also addresses the social impacts and disparities related to plastic production and use.

“Roadmap 2.0 is not just a continuation; it’s an evolution,” Tipaldo says. “Our initial targets were intentionally ambitious to spark rapid change. With Roadmap 2.0, we’re taking what we have learned and succeeded to the next level, focusing on innovative solutions and addressing broader impacts. We are committed to working collaboratively with our Activators and stakeholders to make these targets a reality.”

The organization continues to work as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact Network and other global initiatives to harmonize efforts and share best practices, and says Roadmap 2.0 emphasizes the importance of action, cross-sector collaboration and innovation to achieve these goals.

Roadmap 2.0 beings Jan. 1, 2026. By releasing it 18 months in advance, the organization says it is providing its Activators ample time to prepare for these new challenges and objectives. It says the roadmap will continue fostering a culture of trust, transparency and collaboration, ensuring its efforts are aligned and impactful.