So-Called ‘Chemical Recycling’ Facility No Longer Planned for Pennsylvania Town Following Opposition From Local Leaders

SUGARLOAF, Pennsylvania (August 12, 2025) — Alterra Energy has withdrawn its proposal for a plastic pyrolysis facility in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, sparking relief from community members.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. 

The project, which would have trucked in substantial amounts of plastic trash for high-heat processing, faced strong opposition from local residents, environmental advocates, and township leaders concerned about air emissions, hazardous waste, traffic impacts, and potential harms to public health. The proposal for Sugarloaf claimed to recycle plastic; however, pyrolysis historically produces dirty fuels and is known to generate toxic byproducts.

“The people of Sugarloaf and surrounding areas are elated that Alterra energy has officially decided to withdraw their state DEP permit for their proposed plastic facility from 42 Tomhicken Road. This is a big win for our area,” said Annie Vinatieri, a local community leader and member of Luzerne County Community Action Coalition. “The people have spoken and our voices have been heard. We will continue to fight for clean air, water and a safer, healthier future for Luzerne County.”

“”I am thankful to all who helped in and supported us with this effort to protect our precious environment,” said Lisa Logan, a local community leader and member of Luzerne County Community Action Coalition. “We are so blessed in many ways!” 

“I was concerned about the dangers for environmental and public health seemingly inherent to this type of chemical recycling technology,” said Jan E. Long, lifelong and multigenerational resident of Luzerne County. “I am all for fair, non-subsidized and clean economic development in the area, but will not support a business that has the potential to create a system for the continued production of more plastic waste.” 

“This local effort in Sugarloaf is proof that communities can reject false solutions and fight for the sustainable, waste-free future we deserve. These companies sometimes look for new locations after abandoning site proposals, so it’s important that other Pennsylvania towns are prepared to fight these proposals when they show up in other places,” said Jess Conard, Beyond Plastics’ Appalachia director. “So-called ‘chemical recycling’ is nothing more than greenwashing for the plastics industry. It doesn’t solve the plastic waste problem; it just turns plastic trash into toxic emissions and fuels we don’t need.”

“This was community led from start to finish. We welcome the swift withdrawal of this dangerous project. Plastic is toxic at every stage of its life cycle, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal,” said Josephine Gingerich, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania’s health advocacy outreach coordinator. “Plastic pyrolysis unleashes a cocktail of harmful chemicals linked to cancer, respiratory disease, and other severe health problems. Our communities deserve strategies that truly protect health, safeguard the environment, and put people — not polluters — first.”

“We are thrilled to hear that Alterra will not build their proposed toxic plastics-to-fuel plant in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania,” said Sandy Field, chair of Save Our Susquehanna. “This is a huge win for this small community! The Save Our Susquehanna group advocates for development that does not pollute communities and provides good paying jobs that do not harm workers. Chemical recycling of plastics is not the answer to the plastics crisis.”

“The withdrawal of Alterra’s chemical recycling proposal represents a significant win for the health and well-being of the Sugarloaf community,” said Talor Musil, Environmental Health Project’s field manager. “This decision will prevent the release of toxic air pollutants and the health harms associated with exposure to those pollutants. EHP applauds community members living near this proposed site for successfully raising awareness of the risks posed by petrochemical development.”

“Moms Clean Air Force celebrates with the people of Sugarloaf who will not be subjected to health-harming pollution. Chemical recycling, also known as advanced recycling, is neither advanced nor recycling,” said Rachel Meyer, Mom’s Clean Air Force’s Ohio River Valley field organizer. “It transforms plastics chemicals such as PFAS, heavy metals, and phthalates into toxic air pollutants that our families breathe, putting us at increased risk for cancer and respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Congratulations to all the community members who spoke up for their children’s health to end this deception.”

“The withdrawal of Alterra’s toxic plant is a great victory for the Sugarloaf community,” said Alex Bomstein, Clean Air Council’s executive director. “This dangerous technology, deceptively branded as chemical recycling, emits toxic pollution that poisons our bodies. It has no place in Pennsylvania communities. Alterra’s departure is a welcome relief.”

“The cancellation of the planned Sugarloaf Township pyrolysis plant is good news for the people throughout the region,” said Sean Hoffmann, Clean Air Action’s legislative director. “Pyrolysis is bad for our health and perpetuates the plastics crisis by creating more demand for harmful plastics when we should be doing the opposite. We all want good jobs and economic growth in our communities, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of our health and our land. Let’s work together to bring good jobs to our towns while also keeping them safe from pollution.” 

The Alterra Energy proposal was first discovered in a neighboring community’s council notes in September 2024 and opted to relocate to Sugarloaf. The community’s concerns have prevailed months later. 

Plastics are slowly killing life on earth. We enjoy the convenience of plastics but delude ourselves that we can dispose of them safely. We give little thought to the damage done to the environment and to public health that results from extracting the fossil fuel needed to produce and manufacture plastics. We worry about climate change but stubbornly do not make the connection between plastic production and emissions of greenhouse gases. Most people falsely believe that recycling plastics is the answer — even though the vast majority of plastics can not be recycled and there is no real market for recycled plastics. Most of us will remember that distressing video of a sea-turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. That’s happening every day. Plastics don’t really break down, they turn into dangerous microplastics that we’re now consuming.  

Plastics are everywhere — some are necessary, many are not. Food wrappers, cigarette filters, single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, styrofoam.   

The easiest plastics to avoid are the single-use plastic items we use for convenience or out of habit. As residents, we pay a high financial cost for single-use plastics. The City of Philadelphia spends between $9 million and $12 million every year cleaning plastic bags from the streets, sewers, and bodies of water. Philadelphia alone uses approximately one billion plastic bags per year, many of which end up as litter in our neighborhoods. Pennsylvania taxpayers spend over $13 million every year just cleaning up roadside litter. This money should be spent on more important things such as public education. 

The plastic and petrochemical industry mislead the public by marketing plastics as “recyclable” when in reality, less than 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled. There is no viable solution for plastic waste. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 12% of plastics are burned in incinerators (increasing air pollution in communities of color where waste incinerators are typically located) and 79% of plastics are deposited in landfills, dumps or end up in the natural environment. 

Nearly all plastics produced derive from oil, fracked gas, and coal — dirty, non-renewable resources. Plastics and the climate crisis go hand-in-hand: plastic production depends on fossil fuels, and fossil fuels rely on plastic production.  

Another hidden cost to single-use plastics: human health. For instance, Royal Dutch Shell’s 386-acre ethane cracker—built to make plastics— is set to power up this year about 25 miles outside of Pittsburgh in Beaver County. Shell’s plant will release 159 tons per year of fine particulate matter and 522 tons per year of volatile organic compounds (VOC), according to the Council’s 2014 Health Impacts Assessment. VOCs exacerbate health conditions including asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, endocrine disruption, and adverse birth outcomes. 

There are also terrifying new links being made between microplastics and other toxins. Scientists are finding that microplastics accumulate toxins like DDT and PCBs from trace levels that may already exist in the environment, and deliver them to wildlife and humans that eat them, often bioaccumulating through the food chain.  

The Council spent more than 10 years advocating to pass a Philadelphia single-use plastic bag ban. However, Philadelphia’s plastic bag ban was delayed one year due to COVID-19 and will now go into effect on July 1, 2021.

The Council advocates for turning off the “plastics tap,” and is fighting legislation that would limit local government’s ability to regulate single-use plastic items. Representing Pennsylvania residents in court, the Council joined the City of Philadelphia, Borough of West Chester, Borough of Narberth, Lower Merion Township, and the City of Pittsburgh in a lawsuit to overturn the state’s unconstitutional preemption of municipalities from enacting or enforcing single-use plastic legislation. The Council is fighting for local residents and leaders to implement sustainable solutions locally to plastic pollution.

It’s time to end our addiction to plastic, enact local solutions, and choose to protect the environment over convenience. Start by ditching single-use plastics for Plastic Free July and spreading the word about plastic pollution. 

Written by Jessica Bellwoar, Development Officer, jbellwoar@cleanair.org. For more information on the PA Plastics Preemption lawsuit contact, Logan Welde, Staff Attorney, lwelde@cleanair.org. 

Tags: Plastics, recycling, waste, zero waste, litigation