THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Transportation Research Board
Consensus and Advisory Studies Division
and
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology
and
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Board on the Built and Constructed Environment
Committee on Repurposing Plastics Waste in Infrastructure
*****
Congressional Briefing
Monday, July 17, 2023
via Zoom – 3:00 p.m.
on
Recycled Plastics in Infrastructure:
Current Practices, Understanding, and Opportunities
Requested by Congress in P.L. 116-260, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and, P.L. 116-224, Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, this new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine looks at society’s economic and environmental interests in expanding and standardizing plastics waste collection, increasing recycling, and exploring new applications for plastics waste in infrastructure.
The report states that recycled plastics are an underutilized resource, and action from the public sector at the federal, state, and local levels will be needed to improve the plastics waste management system in the U.S It also makes specific recommendations for how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation can promote and sustain a coordinated government response that includes assessments of economically and socially beneficial applications of plastics waste in infrastructure.
This briefing was for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on July 18, 2023 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.