America’s recycling infrastructure faces mounting pressure to adapt to both environmental imperatives and shifting market realities. In response, the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has joined 20 other organizations in the newly formed We Recycle Working Group, a coalition designed to elevate recycling as a national priority and accelerate the shift toward a circular economy.
The initiative arrives at a critical juncture. Despite decades of policy debate, U.S. recycling rates have plateaued at around 32%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, with plastics recycling lingering in the single digits. Industry leaders argue that new investment and policy frameworks are needed to reverse these trends, especially as global competitors strengthen their recycling ecosystems and advanced recycling technologies gain traction.
The coalition spans the recycling value chain — from material producers and advanced recyclers to manufacturers and recovery operators — signaling an attempt to unify a fragmented sector. Its stated priorities include educating policymakers, boosting national recycling rates, and embedding data-driven approaches into future legislation.
The Capitol Hill launch highlighted this multi-industry front. Partnering with the Congressional Recycling Caucus, the coalition hosted a Recycling Open House that drew over 100 participants, including lawmakers, staff, and private-sector executives. The event showcased technology pilots, case studies of circular business models, and a catalog of recycling facts aimed at guiding future infrastructure investment.
While recycling is often framed primarily as an environmental issue, the coalition is equally emphasizing economic benefits. PLASTICS alone represents over one million workers and supports a $551 billion sector, making it the eighth-largest U.S. manufacturing industry. Advocates argue that strengthening recycling infrastructure not only diverts material from landfills but also drives innovation, job creation, and supply chain security.
The coalition’s launch coincided with the relaunch of the Congressional Recycling Caucus, founded in 2006 and revived in August 2025 under bipartisan leadership. The caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Rep. David P. Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), aims to steer legislation that strengthens recycling markets and reinforces America’s role in the global circular economy.
For policymakers, the challenge lies in creating clear, consistent frameworks that balance environmental targets with industrial competitiveness. For industry, the task is to demonstrate scalable solutions and ensure investments in advanced recycling and infrastructure translate into measurable progress.
The formation of the We Recycle Working Group signals that recycling is no longer a peripheral sustainability initiative but a central component of U.S. industrial strategy. With the plastics industry at the table, the coalition underscores how the debate around recycling and circularity has moved from consumer-facing campaigns to high-level industrial policy.
