Advocacy

U.S. EPA National Recycling Strategy

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comment on a draft National Recycling Strategy through December 4, 2020. The strategy identifies objectives and actions needed to create a stronger, more resilient, and cost-effective U.S. municipal solid waste recycling system. The SWANA Core Advocacy Group and the Recycling Task Force are reviewing the draft National Recycling Strategy to develop SWANA’s comments.

EPA proposes 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 National Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System.

SWANA expects the draft National Recycling Strategy to be discussed by EPA at SWANA’s MRF Summit on November 18. EPA will provide an overview of the Strategy during a webinar on October 27. 

Following the comment period, EPA intends to narrow the actions in the draft National Recycling Strategy to the most important and impactful while ensuring the inclusion of key actions that may not be included in the draft.

SWANA Submits Comments on Metrics for National Recycling Goal

SWANA submitted comments to EPA on proposed metrics for a voluntary national recycling goal. SWANA’s Core Advocacy Group, consisting of representatives from each Chapter and Technical Division, provided input for SWANA’s comments on the metrics, along with SWANA’s Recycling Task Force. EPA will announce the goals at the America Recycles: Summit on November 17, 2020. 

EPA sought metrics to gauge overall recycling performance, contamination reduction, materials processing efficiency, and market strength for recycled materials. SWANA subsequently recommended the following four metrics respectively: 

• Recycling Rate: The percentage of the total amount of discarded or used materials generated that are utilized as feedstock for the manufacture of new products.
• Residual Rate: The percentage of materials coming out of the MRF that are sent to combustion facilities or landfills.
• Capacity Utilization Rate: The total tonnage of materials processed by MRFs as compared to the total tonnage of materials that MRFs are capable of processing.
• Commodity Value: The average per-ton value of post-processed recycled materials
  

SWANA’s comments examined advantages and disadvantages of its recommended metrics, as well as the others proposed by EPA. SWANA further recommended considering greenhouse gas emission reductions as another measurement of the strength and resilience of the U.S. recycling system. SWANA also emphasized the importance that the national recycling goals do not penalize other waste management practices in the hierarchy, including reduction, reuse, energy recovery, composting or other treatment and disposal methods.

Marine Litter Bill Passes House; EPA Announces Strategy for Addressing Global Marine Litter

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (SOS 2.0) on October 1, legislation supported by SWANA. The House added amendments that will require the bill to be reconsidered by the Senate before being sent to the President. The Senate previously voted unanimously in support of SOS 2.0 in January 2020.

SOS 2.0 would, in part, provide $55 million annually to states for five years for grant programs to improve local waste management systems and recycling programs. An additional $10 million annually for five years is given to trash-free water grants for local governments, tribes, and nonprofit organizations. The bill also requires EPA to develop a strategy for improving post-consumer materials management, along with several other reports and studies.

In addition to action on marine debris on the Hill, EPA released a strategy for addressing global marine litter on October 19. It is focused on building capacity, incentivizing the global recycling market, promoting research and development, and promoting marine litter removal. Among the recommended strategies are calls to development of solid waste management infrastructure to enhance the value of recyclable materials, as well as supporting projects that will establish, improve, or scale up waste management capacity in local systems.