Most Americans understand that we need plastic.
Plastic protects our kids, our firefighters and our soldiers. It makes medical miracles possible. It enables low-carbon energy like solar and wind power. Plastic is essential to rebuilding our nation’s ability to move people, energy, goods and water while simultaneously driving down greenhouse gas emissions. What’s less widely understood: We need to make plastic here… at home in America. Here’s why.
Jobs
There’s widespread agreement on the necessity of beefing up America’s manufacturing capabilities. While our nation needs steady trading partners, we also need a robust manufacturing base that provides stable, growing income to Americans.
The companies that make plastic materials and products here at home help fulfill this basic, fundamental American need. These companies employ nearly 675,000 U.S. workers. And those workers make a solid average salary: $67,000.
Investments
And these companies are investing in America and our communities.
In 2021 they invested $14 billion in U.S. manufacturing to grow our ability to make essential materials and products here at home. And their operations resulted in $46 billion in employee earnings invested in communities across the nation.
In addition, there’s been over $11 billion in recycling investments announced since 2017, designed to capture and reuse more of a valuable resource: used plastic. These investments are expected to divert an additional 16 billion pounds from landfills and the environment in the years ahead.
Investing in recycling can help us use our natural resources more efficiently and drive down waste. It also can create even more well-paying jobs and help manufacturers reach sustainability goals.
Innovation
Making plastic is a high-tech enterprise that harnesses the disciplines of chemistry, physics and engineering to make materials that have revolutionized our lives for the better. Every day, innovations in plastic enhance our healthcare, connectivity, transportation, energy infrastructure and access to safe food and clean drinking water.
We need to keep this innovation alive here at home to help our economy thrive, rather than outsourcing our innovation overseas.
One recent example: Solar energy has traditionally been difficult to store, meaning we lose a lot of the energy we produce. A U.S. energy storage company partnered with a plastic maker to create a new lightweight, durable battery to store energy at solar farms. This innovation can dramatically improve our ability to deliver reliable, low-carbon energy to American communities.
This is the type of innovation – along with all the related jobs, investment and improvements in sustainability – that we need to keep here at home in America.
Reliability
Our national defense. Our homes and buildings. Our cars and trucks. Our aviation/aerospace industries. Our farms and food industries. Our healthcare. Our low-carbon energy. Our computer chips.
Heck, even our sports gear/equipment.
All these sectors rely on a steady supply of plastic materials. In fact, plastic supports 26%+ of all U.S. manufacturing.
Sure, other countries make plastic. But whom do we want to rely on? Regimes that can turn off trade on a whim? Countries that lack the stability of the U.S.? Countries that clearly do not share our interests and values?
Or would we rather rely on home-grown American manufacturers?
American companies – especially those that require highly engineered plastic – need to rely on a steady, domestic supply of this essential material. Plus, to grow U.S. jobs and drive innovation, these companies need to rely on plastic makers that can partner with them where they operate: in American communities.
Safety and environmental protection
The U.S. federal, state and local regulatory system is among the most rigorous in the world. America’s plastic makers are subject to layers of rules and regulations designed to protect people and planet.
In addition, many of these plastic makers go beyond what’s required by taking additional voluntary steps to make sure they’re being good neighbors and good stewards of our air, land and water.
U.S. companies and consumers can have confidence in the performance and commitment of our nation’s plastic makers… and in the safety of the plastic made here.
Do Americans have the same confidence in plastic made elsewhere?
What’s at stake?
Anxious times call for a steady hand, for shoring up our critical assets and our workers. Public policies should strengthen our ability to make what we need here at home, which delivers broad economic benefits.
We need to make sure that public policy strengthens access to well-paying jobs, along with the essential and affordable products that we all need to create better, healthier and safer lives for ourselves and our families.
Because there’s a lot at stake. Jobs. Investment. Innovation. Reliability. Safety and environmental protection.
