[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 120 (Tuesday, August 2, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5267-S5268]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 251--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE 
    COLLECTION, PROCESSING, AND CONSUMPTION OF RECYCLABLE MATERIALS 
                      THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. CARPER (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Baucus, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Casey, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. 
Gillibrand, Mr. Tester, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Coons, and Mr. Merkley) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Environment and Public Works:

                              S. Res. 251

       Whereas maximizing the recycling economy in the United 
     States will create and sustain additional well-paying jobs in 
     the United States, further stimulate the economy of the 
     United States, save energy, and conserve valuable natural 
     resources;
       Whereas recycling is an important action that people in the 
     United States can take to be environmental stewards;
       Whereas municipal recycling rates in the United States 
     steadily increased from 6.6 percent in 1970 to 28.6 percent 
     in 2000, but since 2000, the rate of increase has slowed 
     considerably;
       Whereas a decline in manufacturing in the United States has 
     reduced both the supply of and demand for recycled materials;
       Whereas recycling allows the United States to recover the 
     critical materials necessary to sustain the recycling economy 
     and protect national security interests in the United States;
       Whereas recycling plays an integral role in the sustainable 
     management of materials throughout the life-cycle of a 
     product;
       Whereas 46 States have laws promoting the recycling of 
     materials that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to a 
     landfill;
       Whereas more than 10,000 communities in the United States 
     have residential recycling and drop-off programs that collect 
     a wide variety of recyclable materials, including

[[Page S5268]]

     paper, steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, and electronics;
       Whereas, in addition to residential recycling, the scrap 
     recycling industry in the United States manufactures 
     recyclable materials collected from businesses into 
     commodity-grade materials;
       Whereas those commodity-grade materials are used as 
     feedstock to produce new basic materials and finished 
     products in the United States and throughout the world;
       Whereas recycling stimulates the economy and plays an 
     integral role in sustaining manufacturing in the United 
     States;
       Whereas, in 2010, the United States recycling industry 
     collected, processed, and consumed over 130,000,000 metric 
     tons of recyclable material, valued at $77,000,000,000;
       Whereas many manufacturers use recycled commodities to make 
     products, saving energy and reducing the need for raw 
     materials, which are generally higher-priced;
       Whereas the recycling industry in the United States helps 
     balance the trade deficit and provides emerging economies 
     with the raw materials needed to build countries and 
     participate in the global economy;
       Whereas, in 2010, the scrap recycling industry in the 
     United States sold over 44,000,000 metric tons of commodity-
     grade materials, valued at almost $30,000,000,000, to over 
     154 countries;
       Whereas recycling saves energy by decreasing the amount of 
     energy needed to manufacture the products that people build, 
     buy, and use;
       Whereas using recycled materials in place of raw materials 
     can result in energy savings of 92 percent for aluminum cans, 
     87 percent for mixed plastics, 63 percent for steel cans, 45 
     percent for recycled newspaper, and 34 percent for recycled 
     glass; and
       Whereas a bipartisan Senate Recycling Caucus and a 
     bipartisan House Recycling Caucus were established in 2006 to 
     provide a permanent and long-term way for members of Congress 
     to obtain in-depth knowledge about the recycling industry and 
     to help promote the many benefits of recycling: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses support for improvement in the collection, 
     processing, and consumption of recyclable material throughout 
     the United States in order to create well-paying jobs, foster 
     innovation and investment in the United States recycling 
     infrastructure, and stimulate the economy of the United 
     States;
       (2) expresses support for strengthening the manufacturing 
     base in the United States in order to rebuild the domestic 
     economy, which will increase the supply, demand, and 
     consumption of recyclable and recycled materials in the 
     United States;
       (3) expresses support for a competitive marketplace for 
     recyclable materials;
       (4) expresses support for the trade of recyclable 
     commodities, which is an integral part of the domestic and 
     global economy;
       (5) expresses support for policies in the United States 
     that promote recycling of materials, including paper, which 
     is commonly recycled rather than thermally combusted or sent 
     to a landfill;
       (6) expresses support for policies in the United States 
     that recognize and promote recyclable materials as essential 
     economic commodities, rather than wastes;
       (7) expresses support for policies in the United States 
     that promote using recyclable materials as feedstock to 
     produce new basic materials and finished products throughout 
     the world;
       (8) expresses support for research and development of new 
     technologies to more efficiently and effectively recycle 
     materials such as automobile shredder residue and cathode ray 
     tubes;
       (9) expresses support for research and development of new 
     technologies to remove materials that are impediments to 
     recycling, such as radioactive material, polychlorinated 
     biphenyls, mercury-containing devices, and 
     chlorofluorocarbons;
       (10) expresses support for Design for Recycling, to improve 
     the design and manufacture of goods to ensure that, at the 
     end of a useful life, a good can, to the maximum extent 
     practicable, be recycled safely and economically;
       (11) recognizes that the scrap recycling industry in the 
     United States is a manufacturing industry that is critical to 
     the future of the United States;
       (12) expresses support for policies in the United States 
     that establish the equitable treatment of recycled materials; 
     and
       (13) expresses support for the participation of households, 
     businesses, and governmental entities in the United States in 
     recycling programs, where available.

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