The Environmental Protection Agency proposed on March 20, 2026, to shift how it regulates pyrolysis plants used in plastic recycling. The change would move oversight from strict incinerator rules to broader factory standards. Environmental groups warn it could increase toxic emissions near vulnerable communities.
The proposal would redefine pyrolysis facilities, which heat plastics without oxygen to create fuel or new materials, as manufacturing operations rather than incinerators. This move from Section 129 to Section 111 of the Clean Air Act would reduce required limits on pollutants such as dioxins and heavy metals. Six such plants currently operate in states including Ohio and Texas, with more under construction elsewhere.