The last few years have taught us all about the importance of supply chains. From the production of consumer goods to the stability of our economy and the health of our environment, sound supply chains strengthen our nation and keep our economy moving forward. It is essential that our nation make the investments necessary to capture recyclable materials so they can be remade and help to address gaps in our supply chain. In doing so, we will be creating a more sustainable and circular economy. As we recognize Earth Day on April 22, lawmakers should act on two proposals that will invest in our planet, reduce the amount of valuable commodities wrongfully wasted in landfills or the environment and ultimately bring attention to the undeniable link between recycling infrastructure and supply chains.
The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act are commonsense measures that will make substantial economic and environmental improvements to improve recycling and strengthen our supply chains. The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, introduced by West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Capito, would establish a pilot program to increase the recovery of recyclable materials in rural and underserved communities by expanding curbside recycling collection, leveraging public-private partnerships and increasing the number of transfer stations. TheRecycling and Composting Accountability Act, introduced by Delaware Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, would increase and improve transparency for recycling data collection. This would lead to direct evaluations of recycling best practices and identify key areas for improvement. Both pieces of legislation have received strong bipartisan and bicameral support. We encourage lawmakers to make them a priority this Congress.
After the past few years, there is strong momentum in the effort to enhance our nation’s recycling infrastructure. We are encouraged by the Biden administration’s recognition of the value of improving recycling to address numerous global climate issues and to create new, good-paying jobs. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the domestic recycling industry alone accounts for more than 681,000 jobs nationwide and provides nearly $38 billion in wages. Beyond simply being a good steward of the materials in circulation, the economics of recycling are clear, and a majority of Americans agree. A 2021 YouGovpoll showed that 76 percent of the respondents supported expanding the U.S. domestic recycling program. Beyond that, nearly 90 percent of respondents believed there are economic and environmental benefits to recycling.
We should be committed to improving recycling by expanding infrastructure and increasing efficiency. What’s more, we believe such investments would help to ensure recyclable goods stay in the collection stream, where demand is high, so they can be repurposed, reducing the environmental impact often associated with acquiring new materials.
Addressing gaps in our supply chain and improving recycling infrastructure are issues that go hand in hand and deserve attention from policymakers. We know that meaningful change will not happen overnight, but this Earth Day we hope by reframing the importance of modernized collection infrastructure to strengthen supply chains, we can work together to achieve a truly circular economy.