Washington, DC – The Recycling Leadership Council, an initiative launched by the Consumer Brands Association, released its Blueprint for America’s Recycling System today, urging federal action to support recycling. The Consumer Brands Association, which represents many of the world’s largest food, beverage, household, and personal care product companies, brought together various council stakeholders in early 2020 in an effort to reimagine the nation’s recycling system.
In response to today’s report, Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar said:
“It should come as no surprise that the association representing the world’s largest plastic polluters wants to double down on individual responsibility and recycling efforts to solve the pollution crisis. If the Consumer Brands Association wants to be seen as constructive and relevant in discussions about waste, plastic packaging, and recycling, it will need to do better than rehashing decades-old ideas that have repeatedly failed. We have moved well past the point where it is useful to simply push for additional studies and public investment to clean up industry’s mess.
“Real solutions start with an honest assessment of the problem, which goes well beyond waste and will require far more than recycling to solve. It is time to abandon throwaway packaging, especially plastics, and incentivize systems of reuse. If industry will not stop using single-use plastic on its own, then government will need to step in. Today’s blueprint is just another ‘call to action’ from an industry front group that fails to acknowledge this fundamental reality.
“Not only have these companies’ plastics devastated our oceans and waterways, they have harmed our health, impacted vulnerable communities near petrochemical facilities and incinerators, and accelerated a warming climate. Enough is enough.”
###
Contact: Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 301-675-8766
