CEO Column

By: David Biderman, SWANA CEO and Executive Director

So, how’s your summer going?

As we enter our sixth month (!) of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and Canada, the impact has been severe, and has affected virtually everyone in both countries on both a personal and professional level. I hope all of you, our wonderful and loyal SWANA members, and your families are well, and I look forward to seeing you sometime soon. Let us know what we can provide you and your co-workers to help you get through this crisis.

As the Fall approaches, I’ve started to think (again) about recycling. There are several developments that will occur over the next few months and at the end of the year that will likely affect recycling programs in both the United States and Canada.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to issue two important documents that could improve recycling in the United States. First, EPA will issue a “National Recycling Strategy” in September, as directed by Congress in the FY 2020 appropriations bill funding the agency. SWANA is actively participating in the development of the strategy, which draws significantly from the recycling “Framework” issued by EPA in November 2019 in connection with America Recycles Day (ARD). The three main elements of the National Recycling Strategy will likely be: (1) reducing contamination; (2) improving performance of the materials recovery system; and (3) strengthening markets for recycled materials.

Second, EPA will propose national recycling goals, which will, for the first time, provide a federal imprint on the widely varying recycling goals established by cities, counties, and states from coast to coast. SWANA is participating in numerous meetings (via Zoom, of course) concerning these goals, which are likely to include a variety of metrics and objectives. The issuance of these goals, which was announced at ARD 2019 by EPA Administrator Wheeler, is scheduled to take place in conjunction with ARD 2020 in mid-November.

When the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted in 1976, it largely delegated authority to state and local governments over solid waste issues. The impending EPA National Strategy and goals will add an important federal perspective to the quintessential local governmental function of solid waste management. If only it provided funding as well!

Finally, on December 31, when we say goodbye to what has been the longest year of my professional career, two other important things will occur: (1) China will completely prohibit all imports of unprocessed recyclables and scrap, implementing fully the National Sword program announced in mid-2017; and (2) an amendment to the Basel Convention will take effect making it much more difficult to export plastic waste from either the United States or Canada (the U.S. is not a signatory to Basel; Canada is). These events will further reduce export markets for recyclables, which could, at least in the short-term, depress prices for recovered paper and plastic. SWANA will be providing educational sessions and other resources concerning these developments by the end of 2020.

So even as we continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19-related challenges, recycling will return as an important policy issue in the Fall and again at the end of the year. SWANA members should prepare for these developments and continue looking to SWANA for guidance on how to improve their recycling systems and programs. Working together – safely and smartly – we will make recycling better and get through this very difficult year.