“Advanced recycling” is not advanced, and it’s not recycling. Most of these facilities use pyrolysis and gasification, processes that burn plastic trash and turn it into harmful air pollution and chemical waste. The plastics industry lobby is trying to convince state and federal lawmakers, and EPA, that burning plastic in “advanced recycling” facilities should not count as incineration. They want to change the classification to “manufacturing” or “recycling” to evade air pollution controls. Such a determination would leave companies free to emit unlimited amounts of harmful air pollution without any monitoring, reporting, or control technologies.

Burning plastic creates climate-warming gases and releases toxic pollution that can impact health. These pollutants include dioxins, benzene, formaldehyde, particulate matter, and heavy metals, such as mercury and arsenic. Exposure to this pollution increases the risk of cancer, birth defects, reproductive system damage, developmental issues, cardiovascular problems, respiratory impairment, hormonal irregularities, and neurological problems.

Many “advanced recycling” incinerators are in economically disadvantaged communities of color already overburdened by other pollution sources. Changing the laws so that these incinerators can emit harmful pollution without limits in these communities is unjust.

In addition to air pollution and toxic waste, “advanced recycling” incinerators produce heavily contaminated pyrolysis oils, which can be made into highly toxic fuels. The air pollution produced from burning the jet fuel created from pyrolysis oil is expected to cause cancer in one in every four people exposed across their lifetime. The boat fuel ingredients created with pyrolysis oil are expected to cause cancer in every single person exposed over their lifetime.

For nearly three decades, EPA has required the same pollution-control standards for pyrolysis and gasification incinerators as it has for other incinerators. This must continue.

In 2023, EPA withdrew a 2020 proposal that sought to remove these facilities from federal incinerator rules. Moms Clean Air Force is urging EPA and Congress to take the next logical steps: Affirm that pyrolysis and gasification incinerators are indeed incinerators, begin to enforce the Clean Air Act rules at noncompliant facilities, and support policies that reduce plastic production and waste.

We are also raising awareness about the harmful practice of “burning plastic in our communities. Already more than two dozen states have passed laws promoting this false solution. Join us in your state to help us educate mayors and other local officials about “advanced recycling”—and to stop the buildout of these dangerous facilities.