Trump’s Presidency and Its Impact on Plastic Procurement

2024 was a pivotal year for the plastics sector, with global treaty negotiations and a surge of sustainable innovations taking centre stage. December’s breakdown of talks at the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC-5) summit in Busan, South Korea, left manufacturers without a unified global framework to address plastic waste.

In response, industry leaders like BASF and Mondelez continued exploring new materials and processes to develop sustainable alternatives.

Unilever, a major proponent of the global plastics treaty, was vocal about the urgency of the issue. Hein Schumacher, the company’s CEO, stated: “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.”

With 2025 underway, the plastics landscape is being shaped not only by innovation but by significant political change. One key factor is the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency, whose policies are poised to impact manufacturing, including the plastic industry.

Trump’s policies: The shifting ground for plastic procurement

Under Joe Biden, the US lagged behind the EU in mandating businesses to report their environmental footprints and adopt sustainability practices. The gap widened during Biden’s term and is likely to grow under the Trump Administration, focus is on deregulation and bolstering domestic production.

Trump’s recent executive orders don’t specifically target plastics but have significant implications for the industry. His push for fossil fuel expansion, combined with the rollback of environmental protections, directly affects the raw materials and regulatory landscape for plastic production.

Trump stated: “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.”

Oil and gas are critical feedstocks for plastic manufacturing. By prioritising domestic production, Trump’s administration aims to stabilise or lower raw material costs, offering potential savings for manufacturers. Meanwhile, reducing environmental regulations by lower compliance costs is tied to recycling and waste management.

Trump’s “America First” agenda further complicates procurement strategies. His tariffs on imported goods, including plastic products, disrupt global supply chains and may raise costs for manufacturers reliant on foreign suppliers. 

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

Sustainability: A strategic imperative despite deregulation

While Trump’s policies may provide short-term relief on compliance and raw material costs, abandoning sustainability initiatives is not a viable strategy in the long-term.

Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony Environmental, stresses that balancing profitability with environmental responsibility remains critical: “We can expect to see a boost for the plastic industry as US policy aligns with the needs of consumers and manufacturers.

“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.”

Laurier highlights that while materials like paper and biomaterials such as mycelium are popular as alternatives, they can be energy-intensive to produce and recycle, often relying on fossil fuels and grid electricity.

However, one key advantage of these materials is their ability to biodegrade, which plastics cannot inherently achieve without innovative solutions.

Symphony Environmental is addressing this challenge with its d2w masterbatch technology, a cost-effective additive that allows conventional plastics, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), to biodegrade in the open environment.

Michael explains: “This removes waste naturally from the ecosystem without toxic residues or microplastics and without needing collection and transfer to a composting facility. If it does get collected, it can still be recycled.”

Symphony has also introduced its NbR resin, designed to reduce the fossil content of plastic products. These innovations reflect the company’s commitment to addressing the long-term environmental impact of plastic while maintaining practicality for manufacturers.

Michael adds: “Manufacturers are not the polluters, but they are responsible for doing what they can to reduce the environmental pollution caused by their products. Waste management and recycling are important but will not solve the problem for the foreseeable future.”

A shared responsibility in plastic’s future

The shift in US policy presents both challenges and opportunities for procurement teams navigating this evolving landscape. Trump’s deregulation and trade policies may offer cost advantages, but companies that ignore sustainability risk reputational harm and alienating environmentally conscious consumers.

For procurement professionals, the task is to integrate innovative solutions like Symphony’s d2w into their supply chains while balancing economic and environmental goals.

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

“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.

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