Senators Re-introduce Bipartisan Recycling and Composting Legislation

Two pieces of recycling and composting legislation, introduced during the 117th Congress, and which were unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate, have been reintroduced in the 118th.

S. 1194, The Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, sponsored by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE),  Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, would fill information gaps by improving the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recycling data collection. This would allow the agency to establish more detailed recycling and composting best practices and guidelines.

S. 1189, The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would grant EPA authority to establish a pilot program to award grants to eligible and underserved communities for developing better recycling infrastructure. Therefore, increase recycling participation rates nationwide and especially in communities with historically low recycling rates.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) contained historic funding for the establishment of recycling grant programs, and these two pieces of legislation, though separate from IIJA, are complimentary to the missions of the programs funded through the historic infrastructure law.

Please reach out to Jeff Finegan at jfinegan@apwa.net or at (202)-218-6728 with questions or comments.