US Legislation Alert: American Chemistry Council’s Effort to Push “Plastic-to-fuel” Bills

In 2017-2020, the plastics and chemical industry, represented by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), led an effort to make legislative changes to statewide policies to promote pyrolysis or “plastic-to-fuel” (PTF). This strategy not only promotes a techno-fix with a history of technical and economic failures, it undermines the real solution to the plastic pollution crisis — not producing so much of it in the first place. This fact sheet includes details on why PTF is so problematic, profiles types of legislation that have been considered or passed in 15 US states thus far, and provides several brief case studies of existing PTF facilities and their failures and unknowns.

Last updated: July 28, 2020.