Advocacy

SWANA & Oceans Caucus Foundation Hosted Congressional Briefing on Recycling

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) along with the Oceans Caucus Foundation hosted a briefing for staff on Capitol Hill on May 26 about implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Recycling Strategy and 50% recycling goal.

David Biderman, CEO & Executive Director of SWANA, moderated the panel discussion with Elizabeth Roe, President of Eco Partners, Inc., Allison Trulock, Managing Director of Solid Waste Practice for Newgen Strategies & Solutions, David Allaway, Senior Policy Analyst for the Materials Management Program at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and Ashley Krug, Market Development Coordinator, Environmental Services, City of Springfield, MO. Trulock and Roe are also co-chairs of SWANA’s EPA Recycling Grants Committee formed at SOAR 2022 to guide SWANA activities around new federal infrastructure and education grant programs.

The panel discussion explored the state of recycling in the United States and how EPA’s Strategy and recycling goals can best be achieved through local, state, and federal action. The briefing continues the work of SWANA and the Oceans Caucus Foundation to provide insightful, balanced information on sustainable materials management and marine debris prevention to Congress, NGOs, and other industry stakeholders.

Colorado on Track to Become Third State with Packaging EPR

The Colorado state legislature has passed an extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for packaging, making it the third state in the U.S. to do so. It now goes to Governor Jared Polis who has 30 days to sign the bill into law.

The Colorado EPR law requires producers to pay annual dues to a producer responsibility organization (PRO) based on the types and amounts of materials used. Those that use less material and more recycled content would then pay lower fees. Funds raised by the PRO would fund new or improved recycling services.

The law also creates a statewide recycling advisory board that consists of members who have expertise in recycling programs and are knowledgeable about recycling services in the different geographic regions of the state. That board will provide input on a needs assessment of recycling services in the state that is due by 2024. That assessment will then inform the plan proposal to implement the program.

Maine and Oregon became the first two states to pass EPR laws for packaging in 2021. Both states must now navigate a multi-year process to develop the regulations and organizations needed to implement the law.