Chemical Recycling Facility Visited by New York Legislators Appears Shut Down After Environmental Violations
Beyond Plastics has learned that Braven Environmental’s plastics pyrolysis — aka “chemical recycling” — facility in Zebulon, North Carolina, has been shut down by environmental regulators. In 2023, the American Chemistry Council brought New York state Assemblymembers Alicia Hyndman, Chantel Jackson, Stefani Zinerman, and others to the facility to show the “success” of so-called “chemical recycling,” which the petrochemical industry holds up as a solution to the plastic pollution crisis.
Major Chemical Recycling Facility Appears Shut Down After Environmental Violations in North Carolina, Underscoring Chemical Recycling’s Persistent Failures
Beyond Plastics has learned that Braven Environmental’s plastics pyrolysis facility in Zebulon, North Carolina, has been shut down. A Beyond Plastics staff member traveled to the facility on June 25, 2026, and observed that the site was non‑operational and that equipment and materials were being removed from the building. During that visit, an individual on-site stated that he had been hired to empty the building and that the facility had been ordered to close by environmental regulators.
ICYMI: Three Companies Pull Back on U.S. Chemical Recycling Operations, Further Illustrating Chemical Recycling’s Role as a Distraction, Not an Actual Solution to the Plastics Problem
Recent public announcements are providing further evidence that “chemical recycling” is not a solution to the plastic waste crisis, despite continued petrochemical industry claims positioning it as one.
As Plastic Polluters Mislead the Public, Lawmakers and Advocates Correct the Record on Costs and Chemical Recycling
This morning, advocates and lawmakers held a news conference to debunk the plastic, big oil, and petrochemical industries’ misleading claims about the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act.
Environmental Justice Groups Tell Albany to Protect Their Communities by Reducing Plastic
Nineteen environmental justice groups sent a leader to Albany legislators urging them to bring the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464A Harckham/A1749A Glick) to a vote before session ends. The letter points to the many communities of color in New York that experience higher rates of illness and lower life expectancies because of plastic pollution.
Beyond Plastics Tracked Starbucks’ ‘Widely Recyclable’ Plastic Cups. None Ended Up at a Recycling Facility.
A three-month national investigation by Beyond Plastics found that not a single tracked Starbucks cold-beverage cup ended up at a recycling facility — even when the cups were placed in clearly marked recycling bins inside Starbucks stores.
New York City Leaders Call for State Legislators to Pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
Today, New York City Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson held a news conference with New York City Council Sanitation Chair Justin Sanchez, New York State Senators Brian Kavanagh and Erik Bottcher, New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee, and advocates with the NAACP New York State Conference, Beyond Plastics, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
As Governor Hochul Guts Climate Law, 250+ Rally with State Lawmakers: End Plastic Pollution Now
More than 250 grassroots volunteers joined with state legislators and New Yorkers directly impacted by plastic pollution at a rally to urge the New York state legislature to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA - S1464A Harckham/A1749A Glick).
EPA Proposes Regulating Microplastics in Drinking Water
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took the first step in designating microplastics as a priority drinking water contaminant group, adding them to the draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 6).
EPA Visitor Logs Reveal Parade of Plastics and Chemical Companies Prior to Agency Proposed Rollbacks
Official U.S. Environmental Protection Agency visitor logs reviewed by Beyond Plastics show that 16 representatives of the plastics and fossil fuel industries — from such companies as ExxonMobil, Dow, LyondellBasell, and SABIC, as well as three representatives from the Plastics Industry Association — visited EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., over a two-day period on February 10 and 11, 2026. The visits come as the Trump administration has moved to weaken federal environmental rules, raising questions about corporate access to — and influence over — the nation's top environmental regulator.
300+ Rally With State Lawmakers and Environmental Justice Advocates: End Plastic Pollution Now
February is Black History Month, and today, more than 250 grassroots advocates joined state legislators in calling out the environmental injustices posed by landfills and incinerators in communities of color. They gathered at a news conference at the state Capitol and urged the New York state Assembly to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA - S1464 Harckham/A1749 Glick).
New Analysis Finds Toxic Chemicals from Plastics Linked to Thousands of Preventable Deaths in the U.S.
Exposure to toxic chemicals commonly used in plastics is associated with a higher risk of death, according to a major peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet Planetary Health that is drawing renewed attention from public health experts and environmental advocates.
Heastie Wants to Protect the Environment — Pass the Plastic Reduction Act NOW
During his opening remarks of the 2026 legislative session, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie expressed strong commitment to protecting the environment and curbing climate change. Luckily, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA - A1749 Glick/S1464 Harckham) is already on the Assembly floor and will do just that — and save money for municipalities and taxpayers.
California Attorney General Issues Enforcement Advisory Reminding Businesses Not to Sell Polystyrene Foam in California
Nearly one year after California’s ban on polystyrene foam took effect under Senate Bill 54, illegal products are still widely available across the state. On December 2, 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an enforcement advisory to producers of polystyrene foam food service ware, warning them that continued sales, distribution, or importation of these products in or into California violates state law.
Judith Enck’s New Book, 'The Problem With Plastic,' Shatters Common Myths and Gives Readers Real Ways to Fight Plastic Pollution
On December 2, The New Press will release “The Problem With Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late” by Judith Enck and Beyond Plastics with Adam Mahoney. The book, which is currently available for pre-order, provides a powerful investigation into plastic’s impact on human health and the environment, a searing indictment of the plastics industry that created this mess, and a playbook for how we can fight back.
Beyond Plastics Announces Former U.S. Senate Staffer Rita O’Connell as National Plastics Organizer
O’Connell to Lead Organization’s Grassroots Efforts to Block Chemical Recycling Facilities in Various States.
Follow the Money: New Report Reveals David vs. Goliath Battle Over New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
A new report from Beyond Plastics reveals that in 2025, over 100 businesses — including Amazon, McDonald’s, ExxonMobil, and Coca-Cola — lobbied to block the New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464 / A1749), outnumbering supporters’ lobbyists by a margin of 4 to 1. Titled “Follow the Money: The David vs. Goliath Battle to Pass the New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act," the report found that 107 registered businesses lobbied to defeat the packaging-reduction bill, and only 23 registered organizations lobbied to pass it.
Environmentalists and Community Leaders from Across New York Rally in Albany Calling on the State Assembly to Pass Packaging Reduction Act
New York environmentalists and community leaders from across the state rallied outside the state Capital building in Albany on Saturday, September 13 in support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (Assembly Bill 1749). The bill passed the New York state Senate the last two years but has not yet been brought to the New York state Assembly floor for a vote.
Alterra Energy Withdraws Controversial Plastics Pyrolysis Proposal in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania
Alterra Energy has withdrawn its proposal for a plastic pyrolysis facility in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, sparking relief from community members. Obtained from a public records request, a letter from Alterra Energy to the Sugarloaf Township Board of Supervisors officially withdrew the company’s proposal for a so-called “chemical recycling” facility.