Indiana passes advanced recycling legislation

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed a bill into law that defines advanced recycling facilities as manufacturing operations.

Indiana’s SB 472, which passed 94-1 in the state House and 44-5 in the Senate, establishes advanced recycling technologies remain subject to applicable manufacturing regulations and applies a regulatory framework for advanced recycling facilities to encourage investment in these technologies in the state.

“As a manufacturer of products made with advanced recycling, we are excited for potential new advanced recycling capacity in Indiana. Laws such as this will foster growth in the technology so we can continue to increase the circularity of plastic products,” says Robert Flores, vice president of sustainability at Berry Global, which is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. “The law also gives consumers more confidence with third-party certifications being recognized, such as the ISCC PLUS certification used by our manufacturing sites in Evansville, Franklin and Odon, Indiana.”

According to SB 472, the legislation defines advanced recycling as manufacturing process for the conversion of postuse polymers and recovered feedstocks into basic raw materials, feedstocks, chemicals and other products. It defines an advanced recycling facility as a manufacturing facility that receives, stores and converts postuse polymers and recovered feedstocks resulting from advanced recycling and is subject to manufacturing regulation by the state’s Department of Environmental Management.

Additionally, the legislation provides that postuse polymers and recovered feedstocks that are converted at an advanced recycling facility or are held at an advanced recycling facility before conversion are not to be defined as solid waste and that advanced recycling facilities are not to be considered solid waste disposal facilities.

Indiana’s new law also recognizes independent, third-party certification systems to trace, measure and verify recycled plastics made from advanced recycling.

“This bill is a win-win for the state of Indiana. It will bring green collar jobs to our local economy, boost tax revenue from business investments, and reduce plastics in landfills and our environment,” says State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper), a mechanical engineer who authored the bill. “I’m glad my colleagues on both sides of the aisle voted overwhelmingly for SB 472.”

According to a news release from the Washington-based American Chemistry Council, Indiana is the 24th state to pass an advanced recycling law.

“With Indiana’s support, there are now 24 states that see advanced recycling as an important part of efforts to increase recycling, accelerate a circular economy and serve as a model for the rest of the country,” says Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council. “Since states began regulating advanced recycling in 2017, more than 40 facility projects have been announced with the potential to divert more than 16 billion pounds of waste from landfills a year.”