Today in Harrisburg, the governor signed into law legislation authored by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh/Berks) that will allow for streamlined permitting for new and advanced technology businesses, including advanced recycling operations.

Advanced recycling is an emerging industry that allows for the recycling of ALL plastics – many that are currently hard to recycle or aren’t recycled at all. Advanced recycling and recovery facilities can process post-use plastics into new plastics and chemicals, raw materials for manufacturing, and transportation fuels that have lower emissions than conventional fuels. Converting these resources into new materials and fuels complements existing mechanical recycling and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills.

“Recycling and recovery technologies represent an emerging market and provide the ability to remove plastics from the waste stream by converting them into valuable feedstock for new materials,” said Mackenzie. “Treating post-use plastics as raw materials for manufacturing instead of waste will remove the barriers of misclassifying this emerging industry and promote continued innovation and investment. The current law does not clearly classify these new technologies as manufacturing and this new law will provide regulatory certainty as the post-use plastics and recycling industry grows.

“With China’s recent rejection of U.S. waste plastics, it is critically important that we advance policies and a regulatory framework that will allow these technologies to flourish,” continued Mackenzie. “As we work to address challenges around pollution, innovators through the free market have provided a possible solution.”

 

The new law will take effect in 60 days.

 
Information provided to TVL by:
Tricia Lehman
Representative Ryan Mackenzie
134th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
http://www.repmackenzie.com/

 

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