Bucshon introduces bipartisan bill to expand nation’s recycling

U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) on Nov. 15 introduced bipartisan legislation that would establish the Recycling Infrastructure Program within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“Today, our nation is facing a recycling crisis due to inadequate infrastructure and the inability to keep up with waste stream contamination,” Rep. Bucshon said. “Without the proper recycling infrastructure in place, we will not have the capacity needed to recycle waste items and they will either end up in a landfill, our oceans, or elsewhere in the environment as litter.”

Rep. Bucshon cosponsored the Realizing the Economic Opportunities and Values of Expanding Recycling (RECOVER) Act, H.R. 5115, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), which would allocate $500 million in matching federal grants to eligible states, local municipalities and tribal governments to invest in improving their recycling infrastructure, programs and education efforts.

“On America Recycles Day, I am proud to join Congressman Cárdenas in introducing the RECOVER Act, which will help promote greater investment in recycling infrastructure and consumer education to ensure our nation has the recycling infrastructure needed to continue allowing Americans to recycle waste items instead of sending them to the landfill,” Rep. Bucshon said last week.

If enacted, the legislation also would require the EPA to submit a report to Congress on implementation of the bill no later than two years after its enactment, and would prohibit the use of EPA funds for incineration, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

“As the father of four kids, it is important to me to leave future generations with a cleaner environment than the one we inherited from our parents and grandparents,” said Rep. Bucshon. “One of the ways that we have been successful in cleaning up our nation’s environment is by encouraging greater numbers of Americans to recycle waste items instead of discarding them in landfills.”