In the U.S. Senate, two pivotal pieces of legislation that we support advanced out of committee last week.
Currently, about 79% of all recyclables are lost to landfill. Worse still, some are ending up in our environment and waterways. This is unacceptable.
The bipartisan STEWARD Act (“Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development) – authored by Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) – aims to fix that.
By collecting data to better understand the nation’s recycling habits, as well as exploring a potential national composting strategy, the STEWARD Act intends to expand recycling services to all U.S. communities. Today, only about 73% of households have access to recycling. Under the direction of the Environmental Protection Agency, and newly appointed Administrator Lee Zeldin, the bill would establish a pilot recycling program that would award competitive grants to various entities, incentivizing innovative methods of waste disposal and recycling to help meet communities’ unique needs.
By encouraging innovation, the STEWARD Act could lead to solutions in the way we tackle plastics recycling in America.
The second piece of legislation that made moves last week is the bipartisan “Save our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act,” which makes much-needed updates to legislation that helps prevent marine debris.
As America’s plastic makers, we understand that plastic in our oceans is a significant challenge. Most marine debris comes from countries lacking proper waste management infrastructure, and Save Our Seas 2.0, builds upon efforts to address marine debris both globally and domestically. Key provisions include:
- Reauthorizes and increases funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, boosting efforts to assess, prevent, reduce and remove marine debris.
- Establishes the Marine Debris Foundation—a non-profit to support NOAA’s Marine Debris Program plus related federal activities.
- Introduces a Genius Prize to encourage technological innovation and the development of new solutions to reduce plastic waste and help prevent marine debris.
- Directs the U.S. government to work with international organizations foreign governments, and push for stronger policies that help reduce plastic waste.
- Improves local waste management infrastructure, promoting recycling, and reducing the generation of plastic waste, thereby preventing debris from reaching waterways and oceans.
While these bills make their way through the Senate, America’s plastic makers and multiple brand companies are taking steps to re-make used plastic to create new, essential products, helping prevent waste and debris from ending up in landfills and oceans, while powering our economy and creating new opportunities for American workers.
It is critical for our nation’s leaders to identify and implement real, workable solutions to the waste challenges we face while also contributing a stronger economy
Passage of the STEWARD Act and Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act would be an important and welcome step.
