Compiled by the Waste Age staff

On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, co-chairs of the Senate Recycling Caucus, introduced a resolution supporting improvement in the collection, processing and use of recyclable materials throughout the United States (S. 251). The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the National Recycling Coalition (NRC), the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA), the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and a number of other recycling-focused organizations immediately came out in support of the resolution.

“This resolution puts the U.S. Senate on record about an industry that protects the earth and our natural resources, boosts our economy, contributes positively toward the U.S. trade deficit, and creates good paying green jobs,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener in a press release. “Today the industry is facing many obstacles, but this resolution ensures us that our lawmakers not only recognize the positive contributions of scrap recycling but also recognize the need to support the industry and create a beneficial environment for its continued growth.”

“We strongly support the goals of this resolution,” said Chaz Miller, NSWMA’s government affairs director, in a press release. “Senators Carper and Snowe recognize the importance of maintaining America’s recycling infrastructure.  As the resolution states, recycling thrives in a competitive marketplace with strong markets in both this country and abroad.  The recycling industry overcame a serious challenge when commodity markets collapsed three years ago.  Those markets have revived strongly. Our challenge now is to continue to expand the amount and types of materials recycled so that we can reap additional environmental benefits.”

The resolution was refered to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.