Released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency …
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrated America Recycles Week hosting the first-ever America Recycles Innovation Fair and second annual Recycling Summit. These events brought together stakeholders across the entire value chain to address the major challenges facing the U.S. recycling system today. Administrator Wheeler kicked off the week touring recycling facilities in Fairfax County, Va. with Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity. Here’s some recycled content to bring you up to speed on the big takeaways:
Agency Publishes National Framework to Advance U.S. Recycling & Announces New Initiatives
With more than 179 organizations signing the America Recycles Pledge since November 2018, EPA and signers met regularly to undertake actions to promote education and outreach, enhance materials management infrastructure, strengthen secondary materials markets and improve measurement. The work of this ongoing collaboration is described in the National Framework to Advance the U.S. Recycling System, which was released on America Recycles Day, details the efforts to-date and outlines future activities. The 2019 Summit was a chance to highlight the successes of this work and to announce new initiatives.
EPA and its stakeholders announced other work that they have completed over the past year, including:
- Creating a “virtual clearinghouse” led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that will serve as a one-stop shop for municipalities and local governments to find tools and resources, case studies and best practices to improve their recycling programs.
- Publishing an infographic compiling recycling statistics and quotes from executives recognizing recycling’s importance for various industries and the economy.
- Developing a list of funding opportunities for recycling infrastructure improvement, included within the virtual clearinghouse.
- Developing a draft definition of recycling, to help organizations create recycling goals, track progress towards achieving these goals and evaluate recycling programs.