On April 14, the U.S. Department of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA ) issued a request for information (RFI) on recycled plastics policy published in the Federal Register.

“Consistent with PHMSA’s goals of reducing climate pollution and reducing the effects of PFAS on communities across the U.S., the Administration is committed to taking actions that may extend the life cycle of existing plastic, including through reuse and recycling. PHMSA notes that increasing the use of recycled plastics in packagings is one potential avenue to innovate within this complex issue. Advances in technology and operational cleaning processes may allow for new plastic articles to maintain high levels of consistency in quality and offer the potential for growth in the use of recycled plastics, including for the manufacture of plastic packagings used for hazardous materials.”

PHMSA is soliciting information as follows:

  • Pertaining to how the potential use of recycled plastic resins in the manufacturing of specification packagings may affect hazardous materials transportation safety;
  • Ensuring transparency of its current policy pertaining to the use of recycled plastics in the manufacturing of specification packagings;
  • Seeking input on this policy to better inform potential regulatory changes; and
  • Gathering information for the evaluation of future approval requests and to better inform decisions pertaining to potential regulatory revisions and other related work.

The agency is accepting comments through July 13.

Contact ACA’s Rhett Cash for more information.