Plastics industry one of ‘most powerful economic engines’ thanks to nation’s shale gas, ingenuity

By Tate Miller
The Center Square

The American plastics industry is one of the “most powerful economic engines” in the U.S. due to the nation’s ingenuity and its abundant and affordable shale gas, according to a new report and a plastics president.

President of America’s Plastic Makers Ross Eisenberg told The Center Square that a new America’s Chemistry Council (ACC) report “shows that plastics are a driver of prosperity across the U.S. economy.”

The ACC is an “advocate for the people, policy, and products of chemistry that make the United States the global leader in innovation and manufacturing,” according to its website, while America’s Plastic Makers (APM) is made up of the ACC’s Plastics Division and its members and creates plastic materials.

Eisenberg told The Center Square that “a major factor” in making the plastics industry so economically powerful has been “the availability of abundant, affordable shale gas in the United States.”

“It provides the essential feedstocks for plastics manufacturing, giving American producers a significant competitive edge globally,” Eisenberg said.

“Just as important, companies have harnessed that advantage through American innovation – developing new materials, advanced manufacturing processes, and products that are lighter, stronger, and more efficient,” Eisenberg said.

“That combination of resources and ingenuity has positioned plastics as a powerful driver of U.S. manufacturing growth,” Eisenberg told The Center Square.

According to an APM press release on the ACC report, “America’s plastics industry is one of the nation’s most powerful economic engines, generating more than $1.1 trillion in total economic output.”

Eisenberg told The Center Square: “With more than 11,600 facilities nationwide and nearly 670,000 workers directly employed, plastics touch virtually every sector of our economy and in turn, communities nationwide.”

“Their impact extends well beyond the industry itself – enabling competitiveness in sectors like autos, construction, medical devices, and consumer goods,” Eisenberg said.

As similarly stated in the press release, “key U.S. industries that rely heavily on plastics – including automotive, construction, healthcare, and packaging – employed 4.8 million people and paid nearly $400 billion in wages in 2024.”

Another report by the ACC revealed that plastics help “to drive American auto manufacturing” specifically, an industry that employs “approximately one million U.S. workers in motor vehicle and parts production,” according to a press release.

“Plastics are essential to making today’s cars safer, more affordable, and longer-lasting,” the release said.

For instance, plastics are present in seatbelts, airbags, screens, panels and dashboards to name a few, and also help with fuel efficiency.

An APM release additionally explained that plastics are “a major contributor to U.S. trade, exporting nearly $64 billion in goods last year.”

“With strong domestic production capacity, the United States enjoys a trade surplus in plastic resins, reinforcing its role as a global leader in materials manufacturing,” the release said.

Beyond the global scene, the release said that “plastics manufacturing drives jobs and growth in communities across the country,” with the states of particular impact being Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Eisenberg reiterated to The Center Square the release’s point of a trillion dollars in economic output and said that “we can do even more by recycling more.”

“Expanding and modernizing U.S. recycling infrastructure presents a clear opportunity to create new jobs, keep valuable materials in use, and reduce waste,” Eisenberg said.

“The policies Congress and the administration enact in the coming years can help America to fully capture this economic and environmental opportunity,” Eisenberg said.