Advocacy

EPA Issues National Recycling Strategy

On November 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a finalized National Recycling Strategy to enhance and advance the national MSW recycling system. This will be achieved through five strategic objectives:

1. Improve Markets for Recycling Commodities
2. Increase Collection and Improve Materials Management Infrastructure
3. Reduce Contamination in the Recycled Materials Stream
4. Enhance Policies to Support Circularity
5. Standardize Measurement and Increase Data Collection.

The Strategy is to be implemented in conjunction with the voluntary National Recycling Goal of 50 percent by 2030 as announced at the 2019 America Recycles Summit.

Significant changes have been made to the Strategy between the draft version released in October 2020 and the final version due to comments received from the public as well as the change in Administration. It is now part of a broader goal of achieving a circular economy. EPA now intends to develop a series of strategies beyond the National Recycling Strategy. These will address plastics, food waste/organics, critical minerals and electronics, the built environment, and textiles.

The finalized Strategy includes climate change and environmental justice priorities which were not in the draft version. This includes a commitment from EPA “to develop a new goal to reduce the climate impacts from materials use and consumption.” The greenhouse gas emissions from natural resource extraction and processing are cited as a primary driver for the need for recycling and for expanding to a circular economy approach.

The impact of waste management on communities, especially disadvantaged ones, is noted by EPA and the implementation of circular economy approaches and increased recycling are seen as an opportunity to address environmental, social justice, and civil rights concerns. This includes impacts on disadvantaged communities abroad. The inclusion of an international element to the Strategy is also a change from the draft version and it now includes consideration of joining the international Basel Convention as an action.

SWANA has played a major role in the development of the National Recycling Strategy with direction from the SWANA Core Advocacy Group, Recycling Task Force, Sustainable Materials Management Technical Division, and other members. EPA is now seeking stakeholders to lead and support the Strategy actions and SWANA will take on roles in several areas important to its membership.

Grants for Solid Waste Industry in Infrastructure Legislation

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Biden on November 15 includes important grant programs for the solid waste industry. The SWANA-backed RECYCLE Act inserted into the legislation provides $75 million over five years to states, tribes, nonprofits and public-private partnerships to fund recycling education and outreach efforts. Funding was also authorized for the Save Our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act for its post-consumer material management infrastructure grant program. Though SOS 2.0 was passed in the previous Congress, the $275 million for these grants were not appropriated until passage of the infrastructure bill. States will be able to apply for the funds to support improvement to local post-consumer materials management, including municipal recycling programs and to aid local waste management authorities.

Both grant programs will be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and will likely not be available until late 2022. SWANA will continue to monitor their development and provide updates when the programs are active.

Further federal funds for solid waste management may become available via the Build Back Better Act which has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. That bill includes $95 million in grants for organics recycling and reuse infrastructure and another $95 million for waste reduction activities. The funding for both grant programs are available to state and local governments, as well as non-profits. The bill now goes for consideration in the U.S. Senate where additional changes are expected.

EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Webinar Materials Available

The materials from EPA’s October 12 webinar, “2020 Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Data Release” are now available here. In this one-hour webinar, EPA shared the latest data release for the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program’s (GHGRP) 2020 reporting year. Landfills saw a reduction in emissions from 90 to 86 million metric tons of CO² equivalent, while solid waste combustion remained steady at 9 million.

EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Branch collects greenhouse gas data and other relevant information from large greenhouse gas emission sources, fuel and industrial gas suppliers, and carbon dioxide injection sites in the United States.