[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           THE RECYCLING INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 1995
  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the Recycling Information 
Clearinghouse Act calls for the creation of a recycling clearinghouse 
within the Environmental Protection Agency's [EPA] Office of Solid 
Waste Management. With the monumental environmental problems this 
Nation faces in the future, it is imperative we examine all possible 
solutions to these problems.
  America's garbage problem is heavy indeed. Each year we generate over 
180 million tons of garbage. We discard enough paper in a year to build 
a 12-foot high wall stretching from coast to coast. Every hour we 
dispose of 2.5 million potentially recyclable plastic bottles. The EPA 
estimates that this amount of waste will continue to increase rapidly 
through the year 2000.
  Our traditional method of disposing of garbage in landfills is 
becoming obsolete. Ten years ago in Pennsylvania, we had over 1,000 
active landfills; today we have under 100. In addition to dwindling 
capacity, the cost to dump in landfills is skyrocketing. The latest 
trend in disposal technology is incineration. Unfortunately, this 
method has proven to be both hazardous and inefficient.
  The first step in tackling our waste problem is to convert from a 
throwaway society to a recycling one, by shifting our focus from waste 
disposal to waste reduction. Although we possess the technology to 
recycle 80 to 90 percent of glass and aluminum, we recycle only 13 
percent of our garbage annually. Recycling is cleaner and more energy 
efficient than both landfills and incineration.
  Having set up the first comprehensive recycling program in 
Pennsylvania, I know recycling works at the local level. Our recycling 
programs have provided substantial savings in county disposal costs. 
The key to success is information. The success of Delaware County 
should be made available to other officials who are interested in 
setting up their own programs.
  My legislation would create a clearinghouse of information on the 
national level in the EPA. The bill would authorize $500,000 to be 
matched by the private sector. The clearinghouse would provide easy 
access to information regarding recycling to any interested State or 
local officials through a toll-free hotline. Technical assistance would 
be disseminated through seminars and other resources.
  Although the clearinghouse will not eliminate the waste problem, it 
is definitely a step in the right direction. Recycling can be a clean, 
cost-effective means of dealing with our garbage glut. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in support of the Recycling Clearinghouse 
Information Act.


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