Congress has introduced a considerable number of recycling bills in recent years, but passing them has been a slow process. Though few of these bills have passed, the efforts have sparked ongoing conversations among lawmakers about how to take action on issues affecting recycling infrastructure, funding, education and material management. 

Introducing and voting on recycling bills aren’t the only actions lawmakers took during the sessions of the 117th Congress. Below is a digest of relevant hearings, letters and reports from the 2021-2022 session in reverse chronological order.

• Dec. 20, 2022:
  A group of 24 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Biden urging more action on plastic pollution reduction in light of the recent United Nations negotiations to draft a global agreement to end plastic waste. In the letter, lawmakers said the U.S. is the top consumer of plastics, and that “fossil-fuel derived petrochemicals are at the root of impacts to environmental justice communities, the climate crisis, and the plastic pollution epidemic.” They called for passing the Protecting Communities from Plastics Act and the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, and they asked the administration to “set a strong example through regulations and holding companies accountable for the waste they create.”

• Dec. 15, 2022
  The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hosted a hearing on the impact of plastic and efforts to reduce plastic waste. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., called for stakeholders to work together to find solutions. Plastics Industry Association CEO Matt Seaholm testified that policies such as bottle bills and extended producer responsibility can reduce waste and boost recycling “if crafted correctly.” However, he criticized the recently-introduced Protecting Communities From Plastics Act’s effort to curb plastic production. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., advocated for chemical recycling technologies to remove more problematic plastic, while Nexus Circular co-founder Eric Hartz testified that such efforts could be a valuable part of the economy. However, Judith Enck, leader of Beyond Plastics, said chemical recycling is a greenwashing tactic that focuses on creating more plastic and ignores the problems of pollution, especially in overburdened communities.

• Dec. 12, 2022:
  The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis’ recently-published report says Congress has multiple opportunities to reduce plastic waste and support environmental justice. One of the report’s pillars is investing in “disproportionately exposed communities” in an effort to advance environmental justice and cut pollution, noting that plastics are a particular hazard to overburdened communities. It calls on Congress to support circular economy strategies and research on health impacts of plastics. The report mentions the U.S.’s role in the UN treaty process to address plastic waste by 2040 and notes the Department of the Interior’s plan to eliminate single-use plastics at national parks and other locations. The report also recommends supporting food waste reduction programs to cut methane emissions from discarded food while increasing food access.

• Sept. 27, 2022:
  A group of 58 lawmakers sent a letter urging the General Services Administration to reduce purchases of single-use plastics in government supply chains. Led by Rep. Jared Huffmann, D-Calif., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and others, the letter called plastic pollution “one of the gravest environmental threats of our time.” They also noted the issue directly relates to climate change and environmental justice concerns. Phasing out such plastics, they said, “opens the door for a growing community of sustainable product enterprises and a socially and environmentally responsible economy.” GSA is considering new rules that would direct federal agencies to reduce single-use plastics when making government purchases.

• Aug. 17, 2022:
  Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and a group of 29 other lawmakers sent a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging the department to speed up its 2032 timeline for phasing out single-use plastics in national parks and other department-run lands. Haaland issued an order in June calling for the agency to phase out the sale, distribution and procurement of single-use plastic products and packaging on land it manages. Lawmakers, along with environmental groups Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, GreenLatinos, and Beyond Plastics said the timeline is too lengthy to be able to protect the environment.

• July 27, 2022:
  ISRI, NWRA and SWANA sent a joint letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan describing the increased dangers of fires from misplaced lithium ion batteries and recommending guidelines for safer labeling and recycling. The letter is a response to the EPA’s request for information for best practices on the topic. The groups said fires during trash collection and at recycling facilities are increasing, harming workers and damaging infrastructure. They called for consistent public information campaigns to teach residents how to properly dispose of the batteries and asked the EPA to develop labeling guidelines for all sizes and chemistries of batteries to make sortation safer and easier.

• July 14, 2022:
  A group of 35 lawmakers, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), raised concerns over the climate and environmental justice impacts of chemical recycling in a July 14 letter to the U.S. EPA. They urged the agency to continue regulating pyrolysis and gasification units as waste combustion under the Clean Air Act, saying those technologies “do not help us achieve new source reduction.” The EPA is in the process of considering changes to such regulations and published a notice of proposed rulemaking in November. Lawmakers also asked the EPA to further study emissions from such facilities, saying they may release hazardous chemicals linked to health issues such as cancer. They added that the process emits more carbon dioxide than mechanical recycling.

• July 7, 2022:
  The Biden administration is in the early stages of creating new rules to curb single-use plastics in government agency purchases. The General Services Administration recently published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, which asks the public for feedback on plastic used in packaging and shipping, as well as other single-use plastics in agency contracts. GSA will use the information to inform future rules meant to reduce “unnecessary” single use-plastic in government purchasing contracts, including in packaging and shipping materials. The Center for Biological Diversity, along with 180 other signatories, submitted a petition earlier this year asking GSA to address single-use plastics.

• June 30, 2022:
  The House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change held a hearing about plastics recycling and related issues, focusing on four key bills that aim to bring solutions. Read more from our coverage of the event.

• June 23, 2022:
  The Legislative branch’s draft appropriations bill for 2023 will include a measure to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic foodservice products on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, according to a recent committee report. The measure, signed into law as part of the last appropriations package but not yet implemented, calls for coordinating with food service providers to eliminate items like single-use plastic straws, “explore the use of biodegradable items, and increase recycling and composting opportunities.” Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., who advocated for the measure, applauded the committee for including the language in the bill. The House is expected to consider the spending bill later this year.

• June 22, 2022:
  USAID announced the Save Our Seas Initiative, a $62.5 million effort to reduce ocean plastic pollution around the world. The program will include 14 new country and regional programs in areas of the world that represent 40% of total global “mismanaged plastic waste,” the agency said. It’s Inspired by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act signed in 2020 and endorsed by bill sponsors Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. During a recent event, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said some of the funding will help the agency conduct research on household behaviors as well as attitudes about recycling and reusable alternatives to single-use products.

• June 17, 2022:
  The offices of Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., and Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, recently joined with environmental groups such as Oceana, Waterkeeper Alliance, Center for International Environmental Law, the Plastic Pollution Coalition, Society of Native Nations and others to call for movement on the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act. While the law has been stalled in Congress, supporters say the Department of the Interior’s recent order to phase out single-use plastic products in national parks is a sign of growing momentum.

• June 8, 2022:
  An order from Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland calls for the agency to phase out the sale, distribution and procurement of single-use plastic products and packaging on land it manages, such as national parks, by 2032. It also directs the department to use alternatives such as 100% recycled products or those made with compostable or biodegradable materials. The order comes after a group of senators last September sent Haaland a letter asking for the department to make similar changes. A bill pending in Congress also calls for allowing national parks to voluntarily ban the sale of single-use plastic items.

• May 4, 2022:
  Two dozen Democratic members of Congress sent a letter on April 29 to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies requesting that the EPA continue to regulate gasification and pyrolysis, techniques often used in chemical recycling technologies, as “municipal waste combustion units.” The EPA is currently reviewing this classification under the Clean Air Act. The letter, led by the Ocean Conservancy, argues that changes in how these facilities are regulated could contribute to climate change and cause health problems for those living nearby, particularly minority and low-income communities. The lawmakers said chemical recycling does not fit into a circular economy because the technology is mainly used to make fuel from plastic, and the group called for a “comprehensive approach focused on reducing plastic production” instead. The American Chemistry Council responded with its own statement that disagreed with this assessment.

• April 7, 2022:
  During a meeting of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, which saw the advancement of two recycling-related bills, multiple Democratic members raised concerns about plastic waste and called for further action on the issue. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., also said multiple members are working with the Architect of the Capitol to implement organics recycling in the building because “we ought to have the ability to compost in our offices, as well as to recycle.”

• April 6, 2022:
  The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a markup session on Thursday, April 7 to consider the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act. These bills could advance after a vote from the committee. EPW will also consider the nomination of Carlton Waterhouse to be assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management, after his nomination stalled in December.

• Feb. 2, 2022:
  The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing to discuss drafts of two upcoming bills. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), ranking member, discussed her draft Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, which would create an EPA pilot program aimed at making recycling programs more accessible to rural and disadvantaged communities. Sens. Tom Carper, (D-Del.), and John Boozman, (R-Ark.), previewed their draft Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, which would direct the EPA to improve recycling and composting data collection and “explore opportunities” for implementing a national composting strategy, Carper said. The committee heard testimony from the Biodegradable Products Institute and Detroit Dirt, who spoke in favor of legislation that would support markets for compost and compostable products. NWRA testified that a “hub and spoke” collection model could help make recycling more accessible for both residents and recycling companies in rural areas. International Paper supported access to better data about recycling and waste streams to help it meet its sustainability goals.

• Jan. 12, 2022:
  Supporters of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act are working to introduce multiple elements as separate legislation “very soon,” including a national bottle deposit bill and a national recycling labeling standard bill that would be modeled closely after California’s recently-passed law. During a Container Recycling Institute webinar Jan. 10, Shane Trimmer, legislative director for Break Free sponsor Sen. Alan Lowenthal’s office, identified the two bills as having the potential for bipartisan support. Organizers will still work to move the original Break Free bill through committees with the goal of passing the main bill in 2022. Lowenthal will retire at the end of his term and Trimmer said several Democratic cosponsors could continue work on the bill’s passage or any future implementation.

• Sept. 29, 2021:
  Supporters of the REDUCE Act are working to include the bill in the Democrats’ budget reconciliation package, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) announced when he introduced it in the House. The bill mirrors the Senate version Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced in August, which aims to create a 20-cent tax on the sale of virgin plastic for single-use products.

• Sept. 22, 2021:
  During a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on circular economy strategies, stakeholders urged Congress to consider initiatives that would make recycling and waste diversion more effective, accessible to rural populations and easier for people in the U.S. to follow. Roberta Elias of the World Wildlife Fund advocated for adoption of a national bottle bill and EPR programs like those outlined in the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, saying people need “clear, consistent” recycling rules. Brian Hawkinson of the American Forest & Paper Association said EPR for paper goods such as packaging unfairly targets an industry with an already robust recycling system, and EPR programs should be reserved for hard-to-recycle items like paint or batteries. Elizabeth Biser, secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, called for more federal funding or grants to support state programs for food waste reduction efforts and recycling and waste infrastructure, particularly for rural communities. Billy Johnson of ISRI said successful recycling programs require market demand for materials, and the government should encourage but not mandate recycled content initiatives, such as tax incentives or educational elements laid out in the proposed RECYCLE Act, the text of which is now included in the draft infrastructure bill.

• Sept. 10, 2021:
  Senate Democrats are considering including a national tax on virgin plastic as part of their $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, Plastics News reported. The measure could look similar to a 20‐cent‐per‐pound tax on virgin plastic proposed by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in his REDUCE Act. Waste Dive is working to independently confirm the announcement. Whitehouse has said the REDUCE bill would incentivize recycling, but groups like PLASTICS and the American Chemistry Council said introducing a plastic tax as part of the reconciliation bill would unfairly target consumers.

• Sept. 2, 2021:
  A group of 13 Democratic senators has asked the National Park Service to reinstate a policy allowing parks to voluntarily ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. In a Sept. 2 letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the lawmakers said this program helped curb plastic pollution by diverting between 1.3 and 2 million disposable water bottles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 141 metric tons. The program started in 2011 but was later rolled back by the Trump administration in 2017. The letter also called for parks to minimize the sale of other disposable beverage containers, and to add recycling requirements and plastic reduction strategies when signing concession contracts.

• June 24, 2021:
  Witnesses at a House Subcommittee on Research and Technology recent hearing on plastics highlighted research efforts to better understand bottlenecks in domestic recycling systems. Subcommittee Chair Haley Stevens touted the R&D aspects of her bill, the Plastic Waste Recycling and Reduction Act. Joshua Baca of the American Chemistry Council said the bill would support recycling markets and invest in emerging technologies such as chemical recycling. Dr. Gregory Keoleian of the University of Michigan said interdisciplinary research with different stakeholders makes resulting policies stronger. “At the core of the current plastics waste crisis is an economics problem, and sustainable solutions are effective when there’s alignment between technology, markets, policy and behavioral drivers,” Keoleian said. Policies and tech innovations should also be backed up with good data and standards that help measure progress, said Keefe Harrison of The Recycling Partnership.

• June 9, 2021:
  Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) said there’s “very bipartisan support” for recycling reform in Congress at the moment and believes the issue may be approaching a “tipping point” in the future, during a recent Politico event. While California Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld was not optimistic about national policy moving near-term, Pingree said she views circular economy initiatives as a “natural fit” in President Biden’s infrastructure plan. She will also push to include more funding in the upcoming budget for recycling efforts and organic waste processing through her role on the House Appropriations Committee, she said.

• April 20, 2021:
  Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), co-chairs of the Senate Recycling Caucus, previewed the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act during a pre-recorded session at ISRI’s annual convention. Carper said the bill would gather “much-needed data about our recycling system and explore the opportunity for us to implement a national composting strategy.” The bill could also include recycling definitions meant to help policymakers “speak on this with the same language,” said Billy Johnson, ISRI’s chief lobbyist. They did not provide a timeline for when the bill could be introduced.

• March 18, 2021:
  The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies heard testimony on efforts to reduce the amount of plastic entering U.S. oceans and waterways. Winnie Lau of the Pew Charitable Trusts urged state and local governments to use purchasing power for reusable and renewable alternatives. Nicole Collier of Nestlé USA said the company plans to make all of its packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025, reduce virgin plastic use, and support packaging EPR programs. Ginger Spencer, Phoenix public works director, highlighted how community outreach, technology and partnerships with researchers and companies helped improve the city’s recycling efforts.

• Feb. 9, 2021:
  During a Senate confirmation hearing, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) urged EPA administrator nominee Michael Regan and the agency to look more closely at the Presidential Plastics Action Plan, a document backed by more than 500 community and environmental advocacy groups. It asks the Biden administration to enact policies that would reduce plastic pollution.

• Feb. 3, 2021:
  More than 250 groups in the Break Free From Plastic movement called on Congress and the Biden administration to prioritize 13 actions related to recycling, waste reduction and circular economy initiatives worth a collective $1.3 billion in any federal budget decisions.

• Feb. 3, 2021:
  A group of lawmakers voiced support for a new report from the Consumer Brands Association-backed Recycling Leadership Council (RLC), which calls on the federal government to take a leading role in creating a “national strategy” for recycling system issues. Senate Recycling Caucus leaders Carper and Boozman; Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Dan Sullivan, (R-Alaska); and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) spoke during an event introducing the report.

• Jan. 25, 2021:
  Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to major e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Home Depot, Target, Wayfair, Best Buy, and Costco urging them to reduce the amount of plastic used in their packaging. The senators said extraneous packaging hurts the environment and is often not recyclable.

• Dec. 18, 2020:
  Save Our Seas 2.0 was signed into law. Sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), the law includes creation of a Marine Debris Foundation, the inclusion of a “genius prize” for plastics recycling innovations and infrastructure grants. Sullivan and Sen. Whitehouse told the RLC they plan to introduce a third version of the bill, Save Our Seas 3.0, later this year, which could have more of a recycling focus than previous versions.