SWANA Joins EPA, Recycling Stakeholders in America Recycles Day Events

America Recycles Day has been an opportunity to celebrate and promote recycling in the U.S. every November 15. But the day took on new urgency in 2018 after the Chinese government began restricting imports of certain recyclable materials. As China limited the recycled scrap that it would take, America has seen the shortcomings in its own recycling system intensify (the same is true in Canada). High levels of contamination at the curb, a lack of domestic infrastructure to process and transform the materials, and a disconnect between consumers, recyclers and producers became obvious. On America Recycles Day 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss these issues and sign the America Recycles Pledge. SWANA was proud to be one of 45 original signatories that day. Since then, the group has welcomed nearly 250 organizations to join the commitment to work together to address and identify solutions facing our recycling system.

After a year of dialogue between EPA, SWANA, and other stakeholders about America’s recycling system, the National Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System, was released at the 2019 America Recycles: Summit. The Framework summarized the activities and accomplishments of the signatories and laid out the path forward for continued action in 2020. These were grouped into four critical action areas: (1) Promote Education and Outreach; (2) Enhance Materials Management Infrastructure; (3) Strengthen Secondary Material Markets; and (4) Enhance Measurement.

Now, EPA will once again host the 2020 America Recycles: Summit on November 17, bringing together executives and leaders from across the recycling value chain, as well as EPA leadership, including Administrator Andrew Wheeler. David Biderman, SWANA Executive Director & CEO, will serve as a panelist for a stakeholder dialogue as part of the event. EPA will also announce National Recycling Goals. This will be the first time that the federal government has set an objective for recycling at a nationwide level. These goals will serve as important metrics for years to come and are likely to influence how recycling is measured at the state and local level.

SWANA submitted comments on the goals to EPA in October. SWANA’s Core Advocacy Group, consisting of representatives from each Chapter and Technical Division, provided input, along with SWANA’s Recycling Task Force. Following their review of the comments received, EPA officials will select key metrics to gauge overall recycling performance, contamination reduction, materials processing efficiency, and market strength for recycled materials. The 2020 America Recycles: Summit will be a jumping off point from which these ambitious goals can be implemented.

The Summit will also be an opportunity to discuss and evaluate EPA’s proposed National Recycling Strategy. The Strategy identifies objectives and actions needed to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective U.S. municipal solid waste recycling system. EPA has three strategic objectives: (1) reduce contamination in the recycling stream; (2) increase processing efficiency; and (3) improve markets. The Strategy identifies actions to achieve these objectives that build on the collaborative efforts by stakeholders from across the recycling system that began under the 2019 Framework. EPA is accepting public comments on the Strategy through December 4 and the SWANA Core Advocacy Group and the Recycling Task Force are reviewing it to develop SWANA’s comments. Biderman will also have the opportunity during the Summit to share SWANA’s perspective on the proposal. We expect the draft National Recycling Strategy will also be discussed at the MRF Summit on November 18 by Peter Wright, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management.

Last year, EPA launched a new event in honor of America Recycles Day, the America Recycles: Innovation Fair. On November 16, 2020, attendees will again have the chance to explore recent advances in recycling technology, product development, and materials usage in a virtual exhibit hall. Exhibitors will display new recyclable products, goods made from recycled content, innovative education and communication methods, materials that promote more effective recycling, recycling and manufacturing research, and new technologies that are advancing recycling today and into the future. As in 2019, SWANA will be an exhibitor at this virtual event and we hope you can “stop by” our booth. The Innovation Fair is free, online, and open to the public.

Recycling in the United States and Canada is in a different place in 2020 than it was in 2018. Communities are addressing contamination, reducing it significantly in many places through education and outreach. MRFs are investing in new and updated technologies to better address the evolving waste stream while domestic mills are expanding. Producers and the public are reconsidering what materials they use in light of whether they are truly recyclable. America Recycles Day provides us a great deal to be proud of and reminds us there is much more work to do. SWANA looks forward to being part of these conversations and advancing from solid waste management to resource management.