Carper, Capito, Boozman Secure Recycling and Composting Legislation in Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and John Boozman (R-Ark.), also a member of the EPW Committee, today celebrated inclusion of two pieces of bipartisan legislation focused on improving our nation's recycling and composting systems in the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until March 14.

"We know that recycling is a win-win. It not only benefits our environment, but it also creates economic opportunity and jobs," said Chairman Carper, co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus. "Yet, roughly two-thirds of recyclable materials still aren't being recycled. That's why we wrote these two bills to address several of the challenges that America's recycling efforts currently face, including the lack of good data and limited access to recycling programs in so many parts of our country. I'm thrilled that these bills are one step closer to becoming law, and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol for their work to get us to this point."

"These bipartisan bills respond to the most pressing challenges facing the recycling industry, making it easier for more people to recycle, especially in rural states like West Virginia. Commonsense policies and programs like these are good for the environment and our economy, providing good-paying jobs while strengthening domestic supply chains. I appreciate Chairman Carper and Senator Boozman for working alongside me to increase recycling and composting opportunities for our country," said Ranking Member Capito.

"Improving our nation's recycling infrastructure has been a bipartisan priority that we have worked diligently to advance," said Senator Boozman, co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus. "I appreciate the partnership of Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Capito on these measures that our colleagues will now have an opportunity to support and recognize the benefits to our economy and job creation as well as better environmental stewardship."

The text of the continuing resolution can be found here, with the text of the Recycling And Composting Accountability Act and the Recycling Infrastructure And Accessibility Act found on page 111.

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 the Environmental Protection Agency to collect and publish data on recycling and composting rates across the country to provide an accurate reflection of performance both nationwide and at the state level. This information is critical to improving existing recycling and composting programs and evaluating future recycling policies.

RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY ACT:

The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act would establish a pilot recycling program at the Environmental Protection Agency. 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.