The Recycling Leadership Council unites to modernize U.S. recycling policies and reduce plastic waste
Washington, D.C. – January 15, 2026 – The Recycling Leadership Council (RLC): Taking Action to Reduce Plastic Waste launched today, bringing together a broad coalition of industry leaders representing the recycling, manufacturing, packaging, and consumer products sectors, led by the Consumer Brands Association. In 2026, the RLC looks forward to working with Congress to spur recycling innovation and American manufacturing by modernizing America’s recycling system to better manage plastics throughout their lifecycle.
"To reduce plastic waste, we must modernize our recycling system. The formation of the Recycling Leadership Council is a pivotal step toward transforming how America manages plastic waste," said John Hewitt, Senior Vice President at the Consumer Brands Association. “Leaders across technology, automotive, consumer goods, toys, and other industries are working together to meaningfully address policies and practices that prohibit plastic recycling at scale.”
Plastic is integral to modern life. It keeps food fresh, enables life-saving medical devices, protects electronics, makes transportation lighter and more efficient, keeps the products Americans need affordable, and serves countless other necessary applications.
As demand grows for plastic products that deliver critical benefits to society, so does the volume of plastic waste. This demands urgent, coordinated action, beginning with addressing outdated frameworks that fail to recognize emerging recycling technologies and lower consumer confidence in recycling labels and claims.
“The RLC is united in support of policy frameworks that will unlock the investment and manufacturing innovation needed to modernize America’s aging recycling infrastructure to adequately handle the amount and types of plastic materials discarded today. The RLC has the strength of America’s leading industries behind it, sending a powerful signal to policymakers and consumers that the urgency to act is here,” said Hewitt.
Current RLC membership includes:
For more information or to join the coalition, visit recyclingleadershipcouncil.org.
About the Recycling Leadership Council
The Recycling Leadership Council (RLC) is a unified, broad-based coalition working to reduce plastic waste by advancing policies that improve recycling rates, strengthen resource efficiency, and support modern manufacturing solutions.