Arlington, VA – Congress passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) worked closely with lawmakers and staff to ensure legislative priorities such as the RECYCLE Act, grants for battery recycling, and the DRIVE-Safe Act were included in the legislation.
“NWRA is pleased that throughout the process to bring this comprehensive infrastructure bill to fruition, that our legislative priorities remained,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “We partnered with Congressmen and Senators to ensure that recycling is an essential part of our nation’s economic growth and prosperity.”
NWRA has supported the RECYCLE Act since before it was first introduced during the previous Congress in late 2019, working with Sen. Rob Portman to craft the legislation. The RECYCLE Act aims to increase both the quality and quantity of recycled materials. The bill would establish a consumer recycling education and outreach grant program within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an effort to clean up America’s recycling stream. It also calls for the development of a Model Recycling Program Toolkit with input from the private sector.
The DRIVE-Safe Act addresses the driver shortage facing many industries, including waste and recycling. NWRA supported the DRIVE-Safe Act when it was first introduced in 2019. In the 116th Congress, the legislation received support from more than one-third of House and Senate members.
The bill also sets forth best practices for battery recycling and a labeling guideline. The president is expected to sign the legislation.
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ABOUT NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that manage waste, recycling and medical waste, equipment manufacturers and distributors, and various other service providers. For more information about NWRA, please visit www.wasterecycling.org.