Plastics
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) signed into law bipartisan legislation establishing that advanced recycling operations are properly regulated as manufacturing facilities. These innovative recycling operations enable hard-to-recycle plastics to be remade into valuable new plastics.
“This bill clears the path for Kansas to be a leader in the circular economy. In addition to boosting tax revenue from business investments, it will bring good-paying green-collar jobs to our residents and reduce plastic waste from ending up in landfills,” said Sen. Renee Erickson, assistant majority leader.
The potential economic impact of advanced recycling and recovery in Kansas is considerable–an additional $144 million in activity could support as many as 550 jobs in local communities.
Advanced recycling technologies are transforming hard-to-recycle plastics and reducing reliance on natural resources for new plastic production. This manufacturing process extracts value from used plastics by converting them into their original building blocks for use in new plastics and chemical products. Advanced recycling complements existing recycling processes and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills while generating a diverse range of marketable products.
These technologies remain subject to all applicable federal, state and local environmental regulations, and SB 114 establishes a regulatory framework for advanced recycling and recovery facilities to encourage potential future investment in Kansas.
Published in the May 2023 Edition of American Recycler News