US Plastics Pact report charts expansion path for recycled content in packaging

A report recently released by the Walpole, New Hampshire-based U.S. Plastics Pact stresses a dual approach of “voluntary action and bold public policy” to expand the use of postconsumer resin (PCR) in plastic packaging and overcome what the organization calls “systemic barriers” currently limiting progress.

The report, “Overcoming Barriers to Increasing the Use of PCR in the U.S.,” provides a holistic analysis of the supply, demand and financial barriers that limit PCR use. The organization says it drew insight from more than 100 Pact participants in the United States, including brands, retailers, recyclers and nonprofit and government organizations, and the report surmises that challenges are interconnected and must be addressed across the entire value chain.

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“Using more recycled content in packaging reduces waste, cuts emissions and keeps valuable materials in circulation,” Pact CEO Jonathan Quinn says. “But persistent challenges from infrastructure gaps to market volatility mean that we need aligned, collective action to scale impact.”

The Pact report outlines how voluntary and policy solutions can build on one another, and highlights several integrated strategies to overcome the most persistent barriers:

• comprehensive extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs that align financial incentives with circular outcomes through full cost coverage, eco-modulated fees and consumer education;
• long-term procurement commitments from brands and retailers to stabilize markets and drive infrastructure investment;
• targeted policy interventions, including deposit return systems (DRS), recycled content mandates and landfill tipping fees; and
• voluntary actions such as packaging redesign, consumer education and investments in domestic PCR supply chains.

“Voluntary and policy solutions aren’t either or—they’re mutually reinforcing,” Quinn says. “Industry leadership creates market momentum. Smart policy locks in progress and levels the playing field. We need both.”