Chemical Recycling Bills Gain Momentum and Opposition in States

States facing a mounting volume of plastic are turning to a recycling method that uses heat and chemicals to break down materials, even as critics say the process could do more harm than good to the environment.

Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled in the US each year, and the other 90% ends up in landfills, incinerators, or the environment—leaving lawmakers and industries seeking solutions to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

Twenty states in the last five years have passed chemical, or advanced, recycling legislation, which relieves companies of burdensome regulations by treating the recycling ...