The Trump Presidency: What's Next for the Future of Plastics

2024 was a big year for the discussion of plastics in manufacturing.

In early December of last year we witnessed the breakdown of talks at the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC-5) summit in Busan, South Korea to secure a global plastics treaty.

We also saw a upswell of manufacturers across industry, from BASF to Mondelez, pursuing new material and process innovations to create sustainable alternatives to plastic. 

Unilever was one of the biggest proponents of the global plastics treaty, with CEO Hein Schumacher having this to say: "OECD data also shows that the amount of plastic waste produced is on track to almost triple by 2060, with around half ending up in landfill and less than a fifth recycled.

"Greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic system could further increase by 63% by 2040, a trajectory that is incompatible with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

"Packaging represents around one-third of global plastics use.

"Unilever recognises that it is part of the problem. Too much of our plastic packaging ends up in the environment."

In 2025, the problem of plastic is set to be further moulded by manufacturers and political changes. 

One of the most prominent influences will be the policies set forth by new US President Donald Trump. 

How Trump's election will shape plastic manufacturing

The US has already been stalling in its efforts to mandate American businesses and report environmental footprints in regards to plastic.

This was prominent under Biden's presidency, where the gap widened between companies in the nation and their EU counterparts. 

Manufacturers can expect this gap to increase under the Trump Presidency.

President Donald Trump's executive orders do not directly target plastics, but his rollback of environmental protections and support of the expansion of fossil fuel extraction and production have a definitive impact on plastic manufacturing. 

"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," said Trump, in reference to these executive orders.

Oil and gas are key feedstocks for plastic manufacturing and by promoting their domestic production, the cost of raw materials for production is potentially stabilised or lowered. 

With fewer environmental protections, plastic manufacturers have less restrictions surrounding pollution, recycling and waste to navigate, cutting compliance and operational costs.

Donald Trump's 'America First' approach with his signature tariffs and renegotiation of trade agreements have also influenced the global plastic market. 

Manufacturers across industries are already shoring up their cost structure and supply chains in anticipation of Trump's tariffs on foreign-made goods from China, Canada and Mexico. 

Many of these goods will be plastic based, and when Trump issues the executive order on February 1st to set his tariffs in motion the dynamics of the plastic industry will be impacted even further.

How should US plastic manufacturers respond?

How should US plastics manufacturers respond to the Trump presidency?

Not by dropping sustainable production methods, according to Michael Laurier, CEO of environmental technology leaders Symphony Environmental.

“We can expect to see a boost for the plastic industry as US policy aligns with the needs of consumers and manufacturers" he says.

“With this comes a greater need to use sustainable options without fear that it will damage profits.

"The environmental problems are not going away but plastic, is in many cases far better for the environment than paper and other packaging options.”

An example of this includes the fact the recycling process for paper is very energy intensive, using fossil fuels and electricity from the grid. 

Biomaterials like mycelium which are growing in popularity as packaging options are also highly energy intensive to produce. 

While these challenges exist, these materials have one prominent sustainability advantage in comparison to plastic that can't be overlooked: they can biodegrade. 

This is something that Symphony is a leader in, with its d2w masterbatch, a modern solution that can be easily incorporated into PE and PP production.

This solution is a cost effective tool that enables the product to biodegrade if it gets into the open environment after its useful life.

"This removes waste naturally from the ecosystem without toxic residues or microplastics and without needing collection and transfer to a composting facility," Michael adds.

"If it does get collected it can still be recycled.”

Symphony’s latest announcement of its NbR resin also works to reduce the fossil content of plastic products.

“Manufacturers are not the polluters, but they are responsible for doing what they can to reduce the environmental pollution caused by their products.” says Michael.

“Waste-management and recycling are important but will not solve the problem for the foreseeable future."

I think we'd all agree that labelling anyone a polluter is reductive and counterproductive.

But ask yourself this: if a product is created that will not biodegrade, is it not destined to inevitably become a pollutant?

From producer to consumer, everyone in the supply chain plays a role in our current relationship with plastic. A relationship that is not sustainable. 

Michael believes that soon we'll see manufacturing innovation out of the US that will change that relationship.

"The EU has misunderstood this technology and we may see the US leading the production of sustainable plastics with d2w in the near future," he concludes.

Explore the latest edition of Manufacturing Digital and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Manufacturing LIVE.

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.