Washington, D.C. –The Recycling Roundtable, an advocacy group comprised of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI), the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), the Aluminum Association, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA), the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), and the Paper Recycling Coalition (PRC) has announced its strong endorsement of U.S. Senate Resolution 251, “expressing support for the improvement of collection, processing and consumption of recyclable materials throughout the United States.”
The resolution was introduced by U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Recycling Caucus. The purpose of the Senate Recycling Caucus is to educate Senate members and staff on the need for and benefits of recycling to the U.S. economy and the environment and about energy savings generated through recycling, as well as to support public policies aimed at increasing recycling across the country.
“This resolution puts the U.S. Senate on record about an industry that protects the earth and our natural resources, boosts our economy, contributes positively toward the U.S. trade deficit, and creates good-paying green jobs,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener. “Today the industry is facing many obstacles, but this resolution ensures us that our lawmakers not only recognize the positive contributions of scrap recycling but also recognize the need to support the industry and create a beneficial environment for its continued growth.”
“We commend Senators Carper and Snowe for their leadership in promoting recycling, and we look forward to continuing our own improvement with the goal of increasing our industry’s recovery rate to exceed 70 percent by 2020,” said American Forest and Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman.
“This resolution will support the efforts of solid waste management professionals across the country who manage recycling programs that reduce energy consumption, conserve valuable resources, protect the environment and limit climate change emissions.” said SWANA Executive Director and CEO John H. Skinner, Ph.D.
“The Paper Recycling Coalition is pleased to support Senate Resolution 251. The recycling industry in the United States has been one of the oldest and strongest proponents of protecting the country’s environment and economy. Congressional recognition of the value of this industry is an excellent way to educate its citizens about the importance of their role in recycling,” said Fran McPoland of the Paper Recycling Coalition.
Gregory L. Crawford, Executive Director of the Steel Recycling Institute, commented, “On behalf of steel, the world’s most recycled material, we are greatly encouraged by the senate resolution supporting recycling. As the economy improves, the steel manufacturing industry will convert even more old steel to new steel - the final step in recycling - from construction materials to automobiles to containers and other steel products, thus improving our economy and society while reducing environmental effects.”
“We’ve reached a point in the U.S. where we produce more recycled aluminum than we do new virgin aluminum. The aluminum industry is built on recycling and it needs to be more of a national priority. This resolution is a great first step,” said Steve Larkin, President of the Aluminum Association.
“The National Solid Wastes Management Association, whose members collect and process municipal recyclables throughout the United States is proud to endorse this resolution,” said Bruce Parker, NSWMA CEO. “Recycling is an essential part of our nation’s solid waste management system that leads to cleaner land, air and water. Recycling allows us to conserve vital natural resources and helps Americans save money by reducing energy costs.”
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