Recycling's Big Year and Even Bigger Future
Fri Jan 30 2026
What if we could recycle just half of the plastic currently going to landfills?
The answer: 173,000 new jobs, nearly $50 billion in economic output, and a stronger American manufacturing base.
In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn welcomes back Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, for a wide-ranging conversation on why recycling is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s an economic and manufacturing opportunity hiding in plain sight.
Ross highlights what’s actually working in recycling today, from large-scale facilities turning plastic into new products to advanced technologies that can recover materials once thought to be unrecyclable. He explains why the idea that “recycling doesn’t work” is one of the biggest myths holding back progress.
The conversation also tackles the policy choices shaping the future of recycling, including:
Why flexible, technology-neutral policies matter more than one-size-fits-all mandatesHow mass balance works (and why it’s similar to Fair Trade coffee)What states are getting right—and wrong—on Extended Producer ResponsibilityWhy a federal definition of advanced recycling as manufacturing could unlock investment nationwideLooking ahead, Ross shares what success could look like, from scaling U.S. recycling infrastructure to reaching a global plastics agreement that expands access to waste management for billions of people worldwide.
And yes, there’s some fun along the way…from K-pop playlists to shark diving and guilty-pleasure reality TV.
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What if we could recycle just half of the plastic currently going to landfills? The answer: 173,000 new jobs, nearly $50 billion in economic output, and a stronger American manufacturing base. In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn welcomes back Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, for a wide-ranging conversation on why recycling is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s an economic and manufacturing opportunity hiding in plain sight. Ross highlights what’s actually working in recycling today, from large-scale facilities turning plastic into new products to advanced technologies that can recover materials once thought to be unrecyclable. He explains why the idea that “recycling doesn’t work” is one of the biggest myths holding back progress. The conversation also tackles the policy choices shaping the future of recycling, including: Why flexible, technology-neutral policies matter more than one-size-fits-all mandatesHow mass balance works (and why it’s similar to Fair Trade coffee)What states are getting right—and wrong—on Extended Producer ResponsibilityWhy a federal definition of advanced recycling as manufacturing could unlock investment nationwideLooking ahead, Ross shares what success could look like, from scaling U.S. recycling infrastructure to reaching a global plastics agreement that expands access to waste management for billions of people worldwide. And yes, there’s some fun along the way…from K-pop playlists to shark diving and guilty-pleasure reality TV.