Carper, Capito, Boozman Applaud EPW Passage of Recycling and Composting Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) and Co-Chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus; Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee; and John Boozman (R-Ark.), Co-Chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus and member of the EPW Committee, today applauded the EPW Committee’s passage of their legislation to improve our nation’s recycling and composting systems.

Last month, Senators Carper, Capito, and Boozman introduced both bills: the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (S.3743), which would require the EPA to collect and distribute data on recycling and composting rates across the country, and the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (S.3742), which would establish a pilot program to promote recycling in underserved communities.

“Recycling is an incredible area for bipartisanship — one where we can do good for our planet and our economy at the same time. That’s why I was eager to join forces with Senators Capito and Boozman in crafting these commonsense bills to strengthen our recycling and composting efforts,” Chairman Carper said. “I’m also delighted that our committee has come together to advance these bills today. Our legislation would reduce pollution and waste while also creating economic opportunity in communities across the country — a win-win. Now, we look forward to working with our colleagues on bringing these bills to the full Senate soon.”

“The U.S. recycling system provides millions of Americans the opportunity to both protect the environment and contribute to the economy. However, a lack of infrastructure — especially in rural America — often hinders communities’ access to recycling. The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act addresses this issue by establishing a pilot grant program to improve recycling accessibility in underserved areas. Coupled with the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, legislation to improve data collection on recycling and composting rates across the country, this is a significant step forward in improving our country’s recycling opportunities and needed raw materials for our domestic supply chains,” Ranking Member Capito said. “These bills are the latest examples of quality, bipartisan work products coming out of the EPW Committee. It’s a testament to the genuine partnership Chairman Carper and I have, and I look forward to continuing our important work.”

“These legislative initiatives will help preserve our resources and improve our nation’s recycling and composting capabilities. I’m pleased EPW Committee members unanimously advanced these efforts so we can leverage the economic and environmental benefits of recycling. This is a step in the right direction and I’ll be working with Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Capito to encourage support on the Senate floor,” Boozman said.

RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING ACCOUNTABILITY ACT:

The Recycling and Composting Accountability Act would improve data collection on our nation’s recycling systems and explore the potential of a national composting strategy. The legislation would require EPA to collect and distribute data on recycling and composting rates across the country to provide an accurate reflection of performance both nationwide and on the state level. This information is critical to evaluating future recycling policies.

Bill text is available here.

RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY ACT:

The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act would establish a pilot recycling program at the EPA. This program would award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities for improving recycling accessibility in a community or communities within the same geographic area. The goal of the program is to fund eligible projects that would significantly improve access to recycling systems in underserved communities through the use of a hub-and-spoke model for recycling infrastructure development.

Bill text is available here and a one-pager is available here.

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