The Ohio Chemistry Technology Council (OCTC) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) have recently authored legislation to update Ohio's advanced recycling statutes. The initiative is intended to reflect updated technological and regulatory best practices in the field.
Global demand for recycled materials is growing rapidly. Advanced recycling (AR) technologies offer a way to provide higher-quality plastics than traditional recycling while also having the capability to recycle a greater variety of post-use plastics. The industry is poised to make tens of billions of dollars in investment over the next couple decades. With regulatory changes, Ohio is well positioned to attract that investment to Ohio.
Background
In 2019, OCTC and ACC authored a budget amendment to codify Ohio's advanced recycling codes. The goal was to create a solid regulatory framework for the emerging industry that would encourage investment in the state. Ohio currently has three operating advanced recyclers with another project recently announced and at least one more that is planning to make their final investment decision in the near future.
What is Advanced Recycling
Advanced recycling (AR), also known as chemical recycling, is a complementary technology to traditional recycling in which companies can take post-consumer, post-industrial used plastics and utilize a variety of technologies to recycle the materials into polymers, lubricants, new plastics, and other chemical feedstocks. The resultant products create virgin quality plastic for food, medical and pharmaceutical packaging applications.