Texas Positioned to be Key Player in Plastics' U.S. Manufacturing Role, says New Report

by:
07/28/2025
Source: texasinsider
07/28/2025

The plastics manufacturing sector in the U.S. pays nearly $50 billion in Annual Wages, and employs roughly 670,000 Americans. by is licensed under

America’s Plastic Makers propose “3-Point Plan” to Boost Recycling, Strengthen U.S. & Texas Manufacturing

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — As the nation’s top exporter of manufactured goods – many of which rely on plastic – Texas stands to benefit significantly from some newly proposed policy recommendations coming out of Washington, D.C. that have the potential to energize local Lone Star State industries and job growth. A new economic analysis by the American Chemistry Council reveals that plastics are indispensable to critical U.S. industries – from Automotive & Aerospace, to Healthcare & Electronics – and employ nearly 5 million Americans while paying over $391 billion in U.S. wages.

Texas, a national leader in chemical production and a key hub for plastics manufacturing and innovation, is deeply integrated into the industries driving this economic impact.

A new economic report – accompanied by various Federal Policy Recommendations – was unveiled by the American Chemistry Council during testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives last week, and indicated some potential major implications for Texas’s economy and workforce while underscoring how plastics re interwoven with domestic manufacturing.

With plastics manufacturing employing roughly 670,000 Americans, and supporting more than a quarter of all U.S. manufacturing output, the report highlighted the critical role plastics play in industries where Texas is a top contributor – such as the aerospace, energy, and medical tech sectors.

“Plastic is versatile, cost effective, and essential,” said Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, testifying before the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment last week.

“It’s critical to American innovation – from life-saving medical equipment to safer, lighter cars – but to strengthen U.S. supply chains we need to modernize recycling and embrace policies that drive more recycled plastic into the market,” Eisenberg said, outlining the organization's “3-Point Plan to Recycle More Plastics & Strengthen American Manufacturing.”

Aimed at modernizing the nation's recycling infrastructure, cutting waste, and making U.S. manufacturing supply chains more competitive, if implemented Texas would be poised to be a major beneficiary.

As the Lone Star State is one of the nation's leading hubs for plastic production and innovation – particularly along the Gulf Coast where resin and chemical manufacturers drive major exports and supply chain activity – modernizing plastic recycling could mean more jobs and stronger supply chains, positioning Texas and other manufacturing-heavy states for long-term economic and environmental gains.

Key findings from the American Chemistry Council’s report, "Plastics in American Manufacturing Report" shows that:

Nearly 27% of U.S. manufacturing output comes from sectors where plastic makes up 5% or more of material inputs.
The plastic manufacturing sector itself employs 670,000 Americans, and
- Pays nearly $50 billion in wages.
The plastic resin sector holds a nearly $22 billion trade surplus, making it one of the limited U.S. industries that exports more than it imports.

Should demand grow for products made with recycled plastic, Eisenberg’s testimony highlighted how advanced recycling technologies can dramatically expand the amount and types of plastic that can be reused – turning waste into valuable new products.

America’s Plastic Makers’ 3-Point Plan calls on policymakers to:

Recognize advanced recycling as manufacturing and count plastic made this way as recycled content.
Establish federal recycling standards to create consistency and scale plastic recycling.
Assert American leadership in crafting a global agreement on curbing plastic pollution.

The 3-Point Plan draws from specific policy proposals in America’s Plastic Makers’ 5 Actions for Sustainable Change, a comprehensive plan to accelerate a circular economy for plastics. America’s Plastic Makers continue to strive for federal legislation that will codify all 5 Actions.

“Our 3-Point Plan is a win-win,” said Eisenberg. “It would grow American manufacturing jobs, boost recycling, and position the U.S. as a global leader in plastic manufacturing and recycling.”

The full American Chemistry Council Report details how plastic supports sectors as diverse as aerospace, medical devices, food and beverage packaging, and clean energy technologies. It draws on the latest Bureau of Economic Analysis data to illustrate how deeply plastic is woven into the fabric of the U.S. economy.