Jonathan Quinn, U.S. Plastics Pact Chief Executive Officer
“Through the hard work of our Activators, the U.S. Plastics Pact already has achieved many deliverables that are essential to reaching our targets – achievements that cannot be overstated. However, to fully build a circular economy for plastics, every individual and organization has a role to play. From the products we choose to the systems we design, we must act with urgency to ensure plastics remain an asset, not a liability. By working together — through personal responsibility, public-private collaboration, and innovation, we can drive change and strengthen America’s competitiveness in the global circular economy. As I tell all my colleagues, the best is yet to come! Together, we can and will create a sustainable, circular economy for plastics.”
Report Overview
The U.S. Plastics Pact leads with never-before-seen data from its member organizations (“Activators”) with the delivery of the 2023-24 Impact Report.
The U.S. Pact’s consumer packaged goods, retailer, and converter Activators produce 33% of plastic packaging in scope in the U.S. by weight, placing 5.57M metric tons of plastic on the market. Since its launch in August 2020, the U.S. Pact has more than doubled membership and impact with 129 businesses, not-for-profit organizations, government agencies, and research institutions addressing four targets to address plastic waste at its source by 2025.
Target 1
Define a list of plastic packaging that is problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate the items on the list by 2025
Target 2
100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025
Target 3
Undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging by 2025
Target 4
Achieve an average of 30% recycled content or responsibly sourced biobased content in plastic packaging by 2025
Data Highlights
The report shares the U.S. Pact’s aggregate data toward achieving these ambitious goals and covers key actions the U.S. Pact and its Activators have taken in 2022.
The data helps the U.S. Pact have a better understanding of the scale of the challenge and action steps we must take to address the gap.
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- 5.57 million MT of the total weight of plastics placed on the U.S. market was produced by U.S. Pact Activators in 2023.
- 33% of all plastic packaging in scope in the country by weight was produced by U.S. Pact Activators.*
- Top 3 plastic packaging formats represented within the U.S. Pact by tonnage were PET bottles, HDPE bottles, and PP other rigid packaging.
* This number represents the total weight of plastic packaging reported by all Activators divided by the estimated weight of all plastic packaging considered to be in scope for the U.S. Plastics Pact put on the market in the U.S. annually, as estimated using EPA and industry data.
Progress Since the 2022 Annual Report
U.S. Plastics Pact progress since the publication of the 2022 Annual Report includes:
- 22% of business Activators did not sell any items on the current Problematics and Unnecessary Materials List;
- publication of Roadmap 2.0, the U.S. Pact’s next strategic plan;
- increase in reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging from 47.7% to 50%;
- updating of the Problematic and Unnecessary Materials Report to include materials for elimination by 2030, and the addition of an evaluation list; and
- increased the use of post-consumer recycled content (PCR) in plastic packaging from 9.4% to 11% average PCR or responsibly sourced biobased content.
Target Progress
Target 1
22% of business Activators* did not sell any items on the Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List
Target 2
50% of plastic packaging placed on the market by U.S. Pact Activators is reusable, recyclable, or compostable
Target 3
13.3% is the national U.S. recycling rate for plastic packaging.
Target 4
11% average postconsumer recycled content or responsibly sourced biobased content used by U.S. Pact Activators.