Recently, PLASTICS' President and CEO, Matt Seaholm, offered comments to POLITICO, directly challenging anti-plastic rhetoric and calling on legislators for support: “We’ve been advocating for things like recycled content requirements and extended producer responsibility, schemes that would increase and invest in recycling infrastructure,” Seaholm said. “And we were finding that we were having these conversations with lawmakers, but they were being told by these activist groups, ‘Don’t bother recycling. It’ll never happen. Just give up.’ And it was just really actually quite frustrating because we’re trying to increase recycling rates. And we need policymakers to work with us on that.”
By joining together as an association, and advocating on behalf of our industry, PLASTICS members give our entire industry a strong, unified voice. PLASTICS uses that strength to provide information aimed at safeguarding the interests of our members in the public square and in legislative bodies nationwide.
“The Internet and social media have allowed people to express their opinions and beliefs very loudly and very repetitively,” said Jason Eberstein, Vice President of Government Affairs for PLASTICS. “That means elected officials at all levels hear from everybody instantaneously. We need to be sure they have good information in hand, so they can formulate informed reactions to all that input.”
Matt Seaholm, PLASTICS President/CEO
with Jason Eberstein, VP of Government Affairs
at the PLASTICS 2024 Spring Meeting
Among the voices making up a constant barrage to elected officials are the various activist organizations that want to do away with plastic “They’re well-funded, loud, engaged and, even when they’re spreading misinformation, tend to be listened to,” said Eberstein, adding that consistent, organized advocacy becomes more and more essential in such a climate.
“It’s a simple equation,” he said. “If you're not advocating for your company and someone else is advocating against your interests, there is a good chance you’re going to be on the losing side.”
Eberstein has seen that equation play out in real life, calling to mind a company that didn’t engage in government relations. “They were a big company, kind of minding their own business and they didn’t feel any need to engage with Washington, D.C.” he recalled. “Then one day, a Member of Congress made a public statement on the House floor opposing their industry and the company by name, totally unaware that the company was based in his district. A group opposed to that company was able to influence the Member of Congress to come out in opposition because the company had never once spoken to him directly or indirectly with their trade association—their absence in the policy debate opened the window for their own Member of Congress to oppose them.”
Being part of an advocacy-focused organization such as PLASTICS can protect companies from such situations, says Eberstein. “A politician may not completely support the plastics industry,” he explained. “But with us out there making our industry seen and heard in Washington, the likelihood of someone publicly opposing them lessens considerably. We can even change minds.”
In connection with a strong Recycling is Real presence at the 2024 Plastics Recycling Conference in Texas, Patrick Krieger, PLASTICS' Vice President of Sustainability, published an op-ed in The Dallas Morning News. Patrick wrote, “The road to a future where most plastic products can be recycled will require acknowledging and addressing many systemic challenges. We know no single company can do this alone, and we believe that our industry has a role to play in creating solutions. That’s why we recently launched a new initiative, the Flexible Film Recycling Alliance.”
Many Voices Becoming One
Advocacy is one of the primary missions of PLASTICS, and an active role in speaking on behalf of our entire industry with lawmakers is one of the many benefits of PLASTICS membership. Recently, nearly 100 PLASTICS members gathered on Capitol Hill for our annual D.C. Fly-in, a day of successful meetings with elected officials and key congressional staff members.
Moments from just a few of the 75 Capitol Hill meetings that were part of the PLASTICS 2024 D.C. Fly-in.
In convenings scheduled with decision-makers who set policy and write legislation, PLASTICS members shared details of how our industry promotes innovation, and what their individual companies provide for employees and communities that each elected official represents.
The day also featured an Executive Roundtable session hosted in D.C. at which top plastics executives met for discussions with various government officials.
“Seeing is believing,” as the saying goes, and PLASTICS has harnessed the power in that simple statement to advocate on behalf of plastic recycling.
The Recycling is Real online video campaign was created in response to statements calling plastic recycling “a myth.” Each video on the Recycling is Real website shows how plastic recycling happens, where it happens, and introduces the people who make it happen every day.
Be sure and share theRecycling is Real story today by promoting it online. Post shareable links directly to social media by clicking on the icons below.
Advocacy by Invitation
PLASTICS members are strongly encouraged to bring elected officials into their facilities for tours and to see the people of the plastics industry in action.
