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The U.S. plastics recycling economy :
Summary
This NIST report analyzes the current state of US plastics recycling, comparing state and international recycling programs, examining incentives and barriers for different stakeholders, and evaluating the potential of chemical recycling to supplement mechanical recycling.
This report builds upon NIST AMS 100-48 (Thomas 2022), which examined the economics of increased circularity in the economy, focusing on the processes, forces, and decision making that result in an unsustainable economy. This report further discusses the current state of plastics recycling, manufacturing, usage, and waste handling in the United States. It discusses and compares state level recycling programs along with national recycling programs in other countries, particularly those with high plastic recycling rates. The report also examines the potential for chemical recycling to address the plastics recycling problem. Finally, it summarizes the stakeholders in the plastic recycling economy, including incentives, barriers, and challenges to increasing recycling or recycled content use.
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