Green Growth, Not Green Guilt: Rethinking Plastics Policy Amid UN Treaty Talks

In a “soul-searching” exercise, Democrats have quickly learned just how much Americans care about the cost of living. Even in California, policymakers are recognizing the unpopularity of costly and, in most instances, ineffective climate mandates, regulations, and lawsuits. Instead, policymakers on both sides of the aisle should embrace innovations that lower costs for consumers and reduce unwanted environmental byproducts. One area to start is the plastics sector. 

With the United Nations (UN) negotiations for a plastics treaty quickly approaching, the US industry is facing an onslaught of frivolous and contradictory litigation, led by California. Similar to baseless and extortive legal efforts that claim certain companies lied about their knowledge of climate change, the lawsuits allege that companies are deceiving consumers about the recyclability of plastics. If environmental policy and collaboration with international parties are to move forward in a way that, as Governor Gavin Newsom put it, is “thoughtful and considered,” legislators must recognize four essential realities. 

Plastics are Essential to Development and Affordability

The first is to understand the critical role plastics play in making our lives safer, cleaner, healthier, and more convenient. Most of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing poverty, improving food security, promoting good health, gaining access to affordable clean energy, and ensuring water, are unachievable without the availability and durability of cost-effective plastics.