[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 289 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 289

        Supporting the goal and mission of America Recycles Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 2, 2005

    Mr. Inslee (for himself and Mr. Shays) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
        Supporting the goal and mission of America Recycles Day.

Whereas America Recycles Day is on November 15, 2005;
Whereas America Recycles Day is an annual national awareness event, the mission 
        of which is promoting the social, environmental, and economic benefits 
        of recycling and buying recycled-content products;
Whereas the goal of America Recycles Day is to increase the purchase of 
        recycled-content products and recycling throughout America;
Whereas Americans have a long tradition of recycling;
Whereas, in 1896, the first recycling center was established in New York City, 
        and, by 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency had set a national 
        waste reduction and recycling goal, and 26 States had enacted laws 
        making recycling an integral part of their solid waste management plans;
Whereas, in 2003, homes, businesses, and institutions in the United States 
        produced more than 236,000,000 tons of municipal solid waste;
Whereas this amounts to approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per person in the 
        United States per day, and is almost triple the amount of municipal 
        solid waste generated in 1960;
Whereas the Environmental Protection Agency reports that 30 percent of municipal 
        solid waste is recovered for recycling or composting, 14 percent is 
        incinerated, and the remaining 56 percent is disposed of in landfills;
Whereas a significant amount of the waste that is incinerated or sent to 
        landfills can be recovered for recycling or composting through source 
        separation, mechanical separation, and community-based recycling 
        programs;
Whereas recycling saves energy, which in turn can reduce American dependence on 
        foreign oil and prevent pollution associated with energy production; 
        reduces the need to extract certain natural resources; can create more 
        jobs than incineration and landfilling; can cost communities less than 
        other waste disposal options; supplies valuable raw materials to 
        industry; stimulates green technology development; and reduces the need 
        for new landfills and combustors;
Whereas, over the past 10 years, many new markets for recycled products have 
        been created, including remanufacturing plastic containers into other 
        plastic containers, fleece, carpet, car parts, strapping, stuffing, 
        bottles, pipe, lawn and garden products, injection molded products, and 
        plastic lumber;
Whereas, while there are many new markets for recycled products, community 
        curbside pickup programs have decreased and recycling rates for certain 
        recyclable household products, like plastic and aluminum containers, 
        have decreased or stayed the same;
Whereas Federal, State, and local governments should encourage increased 
        recycling of recyclable household products; and
Whereas there remains significant opportunity to increase recycling in the 
        United States, and Americans should be encouraged to participate in 
        educational, organizational, and legislative endeavors that promote 
        waste separation methods, community-based recycling programs, and 
        expanded utilization of recovered materials: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) supports the goal and mission of America Recycles Day; 
        and
            (2) encourages all Federal employees to participate in 
        promoting the social, environmental, and economic benefits of 
        recycling and buying recycled-content products.
                                 <all>