What Donald Trump's Presidency Means for Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing problems our society faces today.
2024 was a year of intense discussion and diplomacy on the subject, with talks for a ground breaking Global Plastics Treaty breaking down in December.
Now, amidst the upheaval brought about by the executive orders signed by US President Donald Trump following his inauguration, sustainability practitioners are uncertain about the future of international policy on plastic production and plastic pollution.
The US's approach to plastics under the Biden administration
When it came to plastics, the Biden administration was characterised by a lack of strong regulations for plastic producing companies, especially when compared to countries across Europe.
According to Bjorn Beeler, International Coordinator with the International Pollutants Elimination Network, the US was "very vague" about regulations under Biden.
“Some people heard the vagueness and they determined that they were suggesting that there should be caps. And the US let everybody run with that," he says.
In actuality, the US government's position was not to enforce mandatory caps on plastic production.
Instead, the administration merely intimated that caps could be a productive policy for waste reduction.
It was not solely the US government's vagueness that saw the Global Plastics Treaty fail, but its non-committal approach to regulation did not help.
Based on his own words since his election in November 2024, it's safe to assume that this approach will continue during Donald Trump's second presidency.
Trump's presidency and the future of plastic production
President Trump has not specifically targeted plastics in his policies, but his broad rollback of environmental protections and supportive actions toward expanding fossil fuel extraction have indirect but powerful implications for this sector.
“America will be a manufacturing nation once again and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have: the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth,” Trump said, in reference to these executive orders.
As oil and gas are crucial to the production of plastic, it's possible that Trump's approach to fossil fuels could give plastic manufacturers a boost.
With diminished environmental regulations, manufacturers face far fewer hurdles related to pollution control, recycling and waste management. This could lead to reduced compliance and operational costs.
Trump's staunch 'America First' stance, characterised by tariffs and the renegotiation of trade agreements, is also reshaping the dynamics of the global plastics market, compelling manufacturers to adapt their cost structures and supply chains in anticipation.
The Global Plastics Treaty
“A Trump election would really spell doom, I think, for a strong treaty, at least one that includes the United States,” US Representative Jared Huffman said before the election in November 2024.
It is likely that Trump's advocacy of fossil fuels will embolden those in the oil and gas sector to hold fast in the production of plastic, whether or not they are forced to scale down energy production.
“Plastics is the Plan B for the fossil fuel industry,” says Judith Enck, Founder and President of the non-profit advocacy group Beyond Plastics.
The might of the fossil fuel lobby is notorious, and its power is already being applied to the plastic manufacturing sector.
“Many of these fossil fuel states are really just trying to obstruct the whole process,” Bjorn explains.
The future of sustainable plastics
Regardless of changes to the political landscape, plastic pollution is now on the agenda of major corporations around the world.
Unilever, the world's third-largest polluter of plastic, is led by Hein Schumacher, who has presided over a programme of transparent, progressive communications on plastics.
“Unilever recognises that it is part of the problem. Too much of our plastic packaging ends up in the environment,” he says.
While Unilever is working on reducing its output of single-use plastics, Hein believes that governments and corporates must be aligned for true change to occur.
“Voluntary corporate action alone is not enough; we are asking for stronger rules and harmonised regulations across the full plastic life cycle,” he explains.
Whether or not this kind of regulation will come under the Trump administration remains to be seen.
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