[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 175 (Wednesday, November 16, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7627-S7628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR IMPROVEMENT REGARDING RECYCLED MATERIALS IN THE
UNITED STATES
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further
consideration of S. Res. 251 and the Senate proceed to its immediate
consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 251) expressing support for
improvement in the collection, processing, and consumption of
recycled materials throughout the United States.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate,
and that any statements related to the measure be printed in the
Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 251) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
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;
[[Page S7628]]
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 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.
____________________