Arlington, VA – The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) hit another dead-end in its efforts to have cell phones regulated after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) responded to the association’s October 4, 2021, letter. In its response, the GAO claimed that it “does not issue legal opinions to members of the public or other entities.” NWRA is seeking a Member of Congress to resubmit this to GAO for a legal opinion.

“The waste and recycling industry is the sixth deadliest profession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is due in part to our frontline workers who die because mobile phone users are engaging in distracted driving,” stated NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “We will continue to push at every level of government and at every applicable agency to regulate mobile phones as an inherently addictive product that causes distractions leading to injury and death.”

NWRA has previously contacted the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to address safety concerns regarding the dangers that mobile phones and distracted driving present to highway users in general, and waste and recycling collection workers, specifically. Each agency responded that it is not responsible for regulating mobile phones.

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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.