Beyond the Bin: A New Blueprint for America's Plastic Film Problem

WALPOLE, NH – February 11, 2026

It’s the plastic wrap on groceries, the bag that holds your chips, and the pouch for your pet’s food. Film and flexible packaging are everywhere, prized for their lightweight, protective, and cost-effective properties. Yet, these modern conveniences represent one of the most formidable obstacles in the global fight against plastic waste. With a recycling rate languishing below 1% in the United States, a new, comprehensive framework from the U.S. Plastics Pact (USPP) aims to chart a realistic course forward, acknowledging that the solution lies far beyond the household recycling bin.

The newly released “Journey to Film & Flex Circularity” confronts the stark realities of a system where nearly five million tons of this material end up in landfills annually. Instead of a single silver bullet, the USPP proposes a multi-pronged strategy built on pragmatic design, collection, and market development, signaling a potential shift in how the nation tackles its most pervasive plastic problem.

“Film and flexible packaging are critical to how products move through our economy and that means solving for their circularity is both necessary and complex,” said Crystal Bayliss, Interim Executive Director of the USPP. “This framework reflects the real work happening across the system today and provides a clear, shared path forward.”

Recycling's Tangled Web

The challenge with film and flexible packaging begins the moment a consumer discards it. Unlike rigid bottles and jugs, these materials are notorious for causing chaos in standard Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), the sorting centers that handle curbside recycling. The lightweight films get caught in sorting machinery, wrapping around gears and causing costly shutdowns and safety hazards for workers. This contamination risk is so significant that most municipal programs explicitly tell residents not to include plastic bags or wrappers in their bins.

Even when collected separately through store drop-off programs, the path to recycling is fraught with difficulty. The packaging is often made of complex, multi-layer materials that are hard to separate and process. Furthermore, high processing costs and volatile, often low, prices for the resulting recycled plastic create a weak business case for recyclers.

The USPP framework acknowledges these deep-seated issues head-on. “Plastic film presents real challenges for existing curbside collection and sorting systems, and those challenges can’t be ignored,” noted Peter Adrian, Recycling Coordinator at the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, Illinois. “What’s valuable about this framework is that it acknowledges those constraints and offers practical guidance.”

A Systems-Level Overhaul

At the core of the USPP's strategy is a recognition that progress depends on addressing the entire system, not just one isolated part. The framework is clear that, in line with the waste hierarchy, efforts to reduce the amount of packaging used and scale up reuse systems should always be the first priority.

Where recycling is pursued, the plan moves away from a “one-size-fits-all” mentality. It stresses that successful collection strategies will need to be tailored to local realities, varying based on community size, infrastructure, policy, and market dynamics. This could mean a combination of enhanced store drop-off programs, new curbside collection pilots in specific areas, or other innovative models.

The framework also includes specific calls to action for everyone in the value chain. It pushes packaging manufacturers to design for circularity from the outset and encourages brands to invest in and use recycled content. This holistic approach aims to create a more integrated and resilient system.

“Flexible packaging is vital to protecting and preserving products that meet the needs of consumers,” said Keya Peterson, Vice President of Strategy and Sustainability at packaging giant Amcor. “The USPP’s framework provides clear guidance that can help producers and users of flexible packaging further that goal.”

The Billion-Dollar Question of End Markets

Perhaps the most critical insight highlighted in the framework is the paramount importance of end markets. The paper asserts that collecting vast quantities of used plastic film is a futile exercise if there is no strong, reliable demand for the recycled material.

Currently, end markets for recycled flexible plastics are severely limited. One estimate suggests that in California, a state with progressive recycling policies, existing markets can only absorb about 10% of the residential flexible packaging generated each year. Without viable, scaled-up applications for recycled film—such as new packaging, construction materials, or durable goods—the economic incentive to recycle simply isn't there.

This is where policy and industry investment intersect. The framework points to policy levers like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes as crucial for driving change. California’s landmark SB 54 law, for example, puts the onus on producers to ensure their packaging is recyclable or compostable, creating a powerful incentive to invest in the necessary infrastructure and market development. Similarly, mandates for minimum post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in new packaging can create the guaranteed demand needed to stimulate the supply chain.

Major consumer brands are responding, albeit with mixed results. Companies like Unilever and PepsiCo have set ambitious goals to reduce virgin plastic use and increase recycled content. However, the complexities of flexible packaging have proven to be a major hurdle, leading to revised timelines and a greater focus on pilot projects and long-term research and development. The scale of the investment required is immense, with organizations like The Recycling Partnership estimating a need for over $4 billion to properly equip the U.S. system for film and flexible packaging collection and processing.

The journey to a circular economy for flexible plastics is undeniably long and complex. The USPP’s new framework doesn't claim to have all the answers, but by grounding its strategy in real-world conditions and emphasizing the interconnectedness of design, collection, and market demand, it provides a crucial and pragmatic roadmap for a challenge that can no longer be ignored.