It’s Time to Bring Recycling into the 21st Century

Recycle More. Landfill Less.

America already throws away three-quarters of its plastic. Advanced recycling can change that — if Washington lets it.

Combining the capacity of conventional and advanced recycling facilities could lead to an effective large-scale solution for the large-scale problem of plastic waste.

— Stuart Malec, The Waste Diversion Benefits of Expanding Advanced Recycling, Progressive Policy Institute (May 2026)
75.6%
Sent to Landfills

The percent of America's plastic waste that ends up buried in landfills. Only 8.7% of plastic waste actually gets recycled.

5.1M
Tons / Year

Additional plastic that advanced recycling could process annually, an anmount that would more than double the current national recycling rate.

$328M
In Local Savings

The amount U.S. municipalities could save every year in landfill tipping fees by diverting plastic to advanced recycling.

Federal policy should be brought into the modern era to expand recycling options. Lawmakers should recognize advanced recycling as a complement to mechanical recycling, create durable economic incentives to collect and sort plastic waste, and let America build the recycling system the 21st century actually needs.

Read the Full PPI Report →