Call to oppose the Illinois plastic pollution bill
Environmental Forum
The Environmental Forum encourages all of our Illinois members and friends to call their legislators to voice their opposition to House Bill 1616. Our allies at Beyond Plastics have done a lot of work on this important issue.
Dear Environmentalist,
An Illinois House Bill may soon come up for a vote that would promote false recycling solutions and potentially expose communities to toxic pollution if passed. We need your help to oppose it ASAP!
Please make a call now to your Illinois House Representative and urge them to vote 'No' on HB1616 - it only takes a few minutes.
HB1616 is backed by powerful petrochemical interests. See the WasteDive article: "Chemical recycling facility bill in Illinois highlights tensions around future permitting."
HB1616 would amend an existing Illinois state law that promotes "chemical recycling." The bill would extend the deadline for a pilot "pyrolysis" or "gasification" facility to begin construction without undergoing Illinois EPA's regular environmental permitting process. Pyrolysis and gasification (two technologies that fall under the umbrella term "chemical recycling") mostly turn plastic waste into low grade fossil fuels to be burned.
These technologies are polluting, generate hazardous waste, and are sited in low-income communities and communities of color. Also troubling, policies to promote chemical recycling can undermine waste reduction. The straightforward solution to plastic waste is to reduce the production and use of plastics in the first place.
HB1616 could come up for a vote any day. This bill has industry support, and grassroots opposition is critical to make sure false solutions like "chemical recycling" don't undermine true recycling and reduction efforts. Click here for calling instructions and a sample script.
Thank you for your help.
Alexis Goldsmith, Beyond Plastics
Lori McCollum
The Environmental Forum encourages all of our Illinois members and friends to call their legislators to voice their opposition to House Bill 1616. Our allies at Beyond Plastics have done a lot of work on this important issue.
Dear Environmentalist,
An Illinois House Bill may soon come up for a vote that would promote false recycling solutions and potentially expose communities to toxic pollution if passed. We need your help to oppose it ASAP!
Please make a call now to your Illinois House Representative and urge them to vote 'No' on HB1616 - it only takes a few minutes.
HB1616 is backed by powerful petrochemical interests. See the WasteDive article: "Chemical recycling facility bill in Illinois highlights tensions around future permitting."
HB1616 would amend an existing Illinois state law that promotes "chemical recycling." The bill would extend the deadline for a pilot "pyrolysis" or "gasification" facility to begin construction without undergoing Illinois EPA's regular environmental permitting process. Pyrolysis and gasification (two technologies that fall under the umbrella term "chemical recycling") mostly turn plastic waste into low grade fossil fuels to be burned.
These technologies are polluting, generate hazardous waste, and are sited in low-income communities and communities of color. Also troubling, policies to promote chemical recycling can undermine waste reduction. The straightforward solution to plastic waste is to reduce the production and use of plastics in the first place.
HB1616 could come up for a vote any day. This bill has industry support, and grassroots opposition is critical to make sure false solutions like "chemical recycling" don't undermine true recycling and reduction efforts. Click here for calling instructions and a sample script.
Thank you for your help.
Alexis Goldsmith, Beyond Plastics
Lori McCollum
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