The Washington-based General Services Administration (GSA), which manages federal property and serves as the government’s purchasing authority, has proposed to update policies related to single-use plastics in purchased products and in packaging materials.

According to the proposed rulemaking, GSA wants to determine “how to best reduce single-use plastics from packaging while limiting burden and liability” on its industry and logistics partners. The administration intends to use public comments in order to craft requirements and reporting mechanisms to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

GSA initially published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking July 7, seeking public comment on revising its policies by Sept. 6; however, the administration is extending the public comment period to Sept. 27 to provide additional time for interested parties to provide input.

Several industry associations have expressed concerns regarding GSA’s proposal to reduce the use of single-use plastics from packaging.

The Washington-based Plastics Industry Association (Plastics) filed comments to the GSA, expressing concerns that this proposed rulemaking could ban the purchase of single-use plastics by federal government agencies.

“If this proposal moves forward, it will run directly counter to the administration’s environmental goals to reduce emissions,” says Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of Plastics. “This proposal would not only cost taxpayers millions and millions of dollars, it would enforce the use of products and materials that will have a much larger environmental footprint than the plastic products the administration would be looking to phase out.”

Seaholm says Plastics compiled examples for the GSA of how plastics can perform better from an economic and environmental perspective than other available materials.

He adds, “Our industry is investing billions of dollars to recycle more plastic waste in the U.S. We would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the administration to develop effective recycling solutions that reduce plastic waste through smart investments in infrastructure, technology and education.”

The Washington-based American Chemistry Council (ACC) also has expressed concerns related to the GSA’s proposed rulemaking on products containing single-use plastics purchased by the federal government.

ACC’s comments to the GSA state that reducing or banning the purchase of products containing single-use plastics could increase the government’s greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint because lifecycle analysis studies have shown that plastics can lower GHG when compared with alternative packaging materials. Additionally, ACC says this rulemaking could increase waste sent to landfill as alternative materials typically result in items that weigh more than those made with plastics.

The association says it is encouraging the GSA “to follow the science when it comes to product procurement. According to multiple studies, including most recently a report by McKinsey & Co., plastics have a lower GHG impact than alternative materials in 13 out of 14 applications studied. A single-use plastics ban would run contrary to the administration’s important goal of reducing GHG emissions.”

The state of Ohio has filed a motion for contempt against Renergy Inc., a Delaware, Ohio-based bioenergy company, citing violations at the company’s biodigester facility in Morrow County.

According to the Ohio Attorney General’s (AG’s) Office, the filing alleges that Emerald Bioenergy was improperly storing nearly 1.5 million gallons of untreated organic waste in 83 mobile containers, or “frac tanks”—an act that was in violation of a preliminary injunction the company agreed to in June.

The filing follows a “spate of lawsuits filed by the AG against Renergy earlier this year,” the Dayton Daily News reports. In a previous lawsuit in June, Attorney General Dave Yost alleged that three Renergy operations, including the Dovetail biodigester in Bath Township in Greene County, had committed air and water pollution violations.

The Dayton Daily News reports the violations were resolved with two consent orders which required the Emerald facility to treat and remove certain waste; however, the AG’s office says the number of frac tanks has “grown rapidly.”

The recent filing by Yost has requested the court to order Renergy to comply with the consent order, as well as empty and remove frac tanks at the Emerald facility no later than Dec. 31. The filing also orders for the company to stop accepting untreated organic waste at the site until the tanks are removed.

The Emerald facility is a sister facility of the biodigester operation in Bath Township, according to the Dayton Daily News. Both biodigesters are operated by Renergy and use anaerobic digestion to break down manure, food waste and other organic material to be used as fertilizer or for renewable natural gas production.

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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $32,337 penalty against Eastern Waste Services LLC, based in Clifton, Connecticut, for violations of state solid waste regulations.

According to a release from MassDEP, the company operates the Essex County Recycling Center in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and holds a permit that allows for pre-sorted recyclable materials to be accepted at the facility.

After receiving a complaint in September 2021, a MassDEP inspection determined the company was accepting mixed construction and demolition (C&D) waste—including wood, metal, plastic, rubber and house siding—from various contractors. The C&D materials were dumped “out in the open,” according to the agency, and then processed into 100-cubic-yard transfer trailers on the property.

As required for the processing of C&D materials, the recycling center has not been granted a site assignment by the Gloucester Board of Health to operate a C&D processing facility. Additionally, the company has not been issued any permits by MassDEP to operate a solid waste handling facility.

In a consent order with MassDEP, Eastern Waste Services is now required to stop receiving solid waste at the facility (including C&D waste), stop any C&D storage on-site and remove all solid waste materials. The company must also pay $20,000 of the assessed fine, with the remainder of the balance being suspended if there are no further violations over the next year.

“The recycling permit for this facility is very specific and requires that only pre-sorted recyclable materials can be delivered and processed as a way to protect the local environment and the public health,” says Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilmington. “The handling of C&D waste involves a much more comprehensive permitting process that involves town officials and significant input from local residents.”