The Global Declaration obliges signatories to commit to action in six areas: education, research, public policy, best practices, recycling/recovery, and product stewardship. As of the last progress report (2020), 80 plastics associations in 43 countries launched, planned or completed 395 projects, from beach clean ups to awareness campaigns. Our projects range in size, focus, and scope and involve an ever growing number of partners. All are forging cooperation and furthering progress to prevent, reduce, and improve understanding of marine litter. At the present time this list does not reflect the entire universe of commitments. We are currently working to get each project included here. We will remove this notice when the entries are completed.
American Chemistry Council contributed a 50,000 sponsorship to Keep California Beautiful KCB’s Mission: “Working to ignite individuals, state and local governments, community, and corporate responsibility through strategic initiatives and volunteer action to preserve and protect…
Partnership Request to Support American River Basin Regional Adopt-A-Creek (AAC) Program, ARB Storm Water Resource Plan Implementation and the American River Basin Collaborative (ARBC) for Watersheds will support Valley Foothill Watersheds Collaborative (VFWC) activities to…
The goal of this internship was to develop a comprehensive overview of recycling programs in the Greater Cleveland area and recommend how to advance recycling in the region. Programs in the region for waste reduction…
Environmental Resources Planning, LLC (ERP), at the request of the American Chemistry Council and their Marine Debris Group (ACC), will conduct a comprehensive study of litter of the Down East area of North Carolina. ERP…
Save The Bay completed critical work over the first phase of a pilot initiative to reduce shoreline trash and debris at its source in Warwick, RI. Save The Bay was able to streamline its efforts…
This project aims to identify new end markets for PE films so we can continue to grow retail film collection and recycling in the U.S. In Phase II, we’ve identified 59 mmlbs. of new annual…
This project aims to demonstrate what additional value can be captured through secondary sorting to recover packaging that cannot efficiently be separated at the material recovery facility (MRF). By creating new streams of valuable recyclables,…
This effort aims to understand how using recycled PE films in asphalt formulations can enhance the performance, and lifespan, of asphalt. PLASTICS worked with NCAT to perform all necessary testing to develop the ideal recycled…
In Fall 2019, Environmental Resources Planning, LLC (ERP) conducted a comprehensive litter survey of waterway-related sites throughout the State of New Jersey to evaluate the amount and composition of litter tallied on 94 representative waterway…
Plastics are an important resource that must be recycled and not end up as environmental litter. In order to manage and optimize the flows of material specifically for this purpose, the volumes of material flows…
Install outdoor recycling bins at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Bins include messaging to encourage recycling by aquarium visitors. Project Outcomes 6 outdoor recycling bins were installed, increasing aquarium visitor access to…
Completed feasibility study for improving trash capture in the Los Angeles River and Ballona Creek. As a result of the study, ACC is in discussion with local governments in the Los Angeles River watershed regarding…
The project supported an effort by EPA Trash Free Waters to convene stakeholders in the Piscataqua River watershed to develop a plan for addressing sources of marine debris throughout the watershed.
U.S. plastics associations joined a large coalition advocating for multi-pronged federal legislation to reauthorize the U.S. marine debris program. The Save Our Seas Act passed in 2018. Among other provisions, the bill directed U.S. agencies…
In May of 2018, the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) launched This Is Plastics, a resource created to inspire meaningful discussion about the power of plastics and turn plastics industry employees into ambassadors for plastics. Among…
Our partners in the environmental community challenged us to address straws, a commonly littered item found during the international coastal cleanup. Working with our member companies and others throughout the value chain we developed a…
In 2017, the American Chemistry Council and the World Plastics Council joined a coalition of partners to support Circulate Capital (previously Closed Loop Ocean or CLP). Circulate Capital, an initiative of Closed Loop Partners in partnership with…
In April 2016 ACCs Plastics Division co-sponsored exhibit space at the USA Science and Engineering Festival (USASEF) with the Plastics Industry Association and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), featuring the Rozalia Project for a…
This unique litter prevention and marine debris prevention program, piloted by Clean Virginia Waterways focuses on reaching Virginia Beach’s resort community (hotel guests and employees) with anti-litter messaging. Designed to influence the behaviors of visitors to…
Each year the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and Plastics Industry Trade Association partner with the Trash Free Seas Alliance to organize an International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) event in Washington, DC. The highly anticipated annual project is a way…
Download Full Report The American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Division supported the Trucost study Plastics and Sustainability: A Valuation of Environmental Benefits, Costs, and Opportunities for Continuous Improvement, which found that the environmental cost of using…
The World Plastics Council (WPC) joins the Trash Free Seas Alliance and the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) in hosting “Green Room Event 8 : Stemming the Tide: Comprehensive Strategies to Prevent Marine Litter will…
In 2015, The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group partnered with the City and County of Honolulu, the University of Hawaii – Manoa, and Keep the Hawaiian Islands Beautiful to complete a comprehensive visual…
The American Chemistry Council’s Plastic Division provided financial resources and expertise to help the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, create a new exhibit, “Our Watershed: Pathway to the Pacific.” The exhibit includes…
From 2009 – 2012, America’s Plastics MakersTM, through the American Chemistry Council (ACC) partnered with the After School Enrichment Program, LA’s BEST to teach kids how to recycle more of the materials they use every…
The Trash Free Waters Program (TFW) is an initiative of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to explore innovative strategies for preventing trash and litter from entering U.S. waterways, a major source of marine…
The Plastics Make it Possible® campaign encourages increased plastics recycling through digital and in-person content that helps educate Americans about the ease and wide availability of plastics recycling. This initiative is sponsored by the plastics industries…
Each year (2008 – 2012) associations representing plastic makers, through the American Chemistry Council (ACC), partnered with Living Classrooms of the National Capitol Region (LC-NCR) to host a debris clean-up of Kingman Island and the Anacostia…
From 2009 through 2012, associations representing plastic makers, through the American Chemistry Council (ACC), partnered with Earth 911, a digital media platform devoted to providing Americans with news and information about recycling and living more…
America’s Plastics MakersTM, through the American Chemistry Council (ACC), partnered with the city of Baltimore, Maryland’s Department of Public Works on the 2013 Clean Community Competition. This annual community cleanup contest offers participating communities an…
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is a sponsor of Keep America Beautiful’s America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle. Every year on or around November 15, millions turn…
In 2015, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), American Chemistry Council (ACC) worked with a variety of partners to create and populate an online directory of private and municipal options for polystyrene foam recycling. PSFoamRecycling.org…
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP® (OCS) is an international program designed to prevent plastic pellet loss and the potential introduction of pellets to the marine environment where they create both a litter problem and a threat to…
The Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP) is a national public education and outreach initiative aimed at increasing plastic film recycling by doubling the amount of recycled polyethylene (PE) bags, wraps and film to 2 billion…
ACC is a founding partner and continuing sponsor of Keep America Beautiful’s national public service advertising campaign “I Want To Be Recycled”, created to increase consumer awareness and participation in recycling. In addition, we’ve sponsored local…
Working to ensure a consistent national standard, associations representing plastic makers supported the “Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015” (H.R. 1321) which President Obama signed into law in 2015. The legislation phases out solid plastic microbeads…
Ocean Conservancy launched the Trash Free Seas Alliance® in 2012 to unite industry, science, and conservation leaders who share a common goal for a healthy ocean free of trash and plastic pollution. The Alliance provides…
The Recycling Partnership (TRP), previously called Curbside Value Partnership (CVP), is a national recycling nonprofit focused on improving residential recycling, nationwide. ACC has provided continual support since 2012 and has had a measurable impact in helping…
The American Chemistry Council’s Steve Russell discusses marine debris and global solutions
The plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council partnered with Keep California Beautiful, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (California State Parks), the California Department of Transportation, and many other public and private partners…
ACC supports the Rozalia Project’s mission is to find and remove ocean trash (from the surface to the sea floor) through action, technology, outreach and research. Associations representing plastic makers are proud to provide support…
Together with the Society of the Plastics Industry, ACC has developed and promoted Operation Clean Sweep, a series of best practices designed to contain plastic pellets, flakes and powder (plastics’ basic raw material form) from…