[OKRA] NRC Supports Legislation to "Break Free From Plastic Pollution"

[Ellen Bussert]

[image: image.png]



*National Recycling Coalition Supports Legislation to*

*“Break Free From Plastic Pollution”*



ERIE, CO FEB 28, 2020 -- The landmark legislation known as the “Break Free
From

Plastic Pollution Act of 2020” introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.,
and U.S. Rep.

Alan Lowenthal, D-CA, comes at a time when our nation is in the midst of
the most

significant waste and plastic pollution crisis of our time. While there are
often differences

of opinion on the details of any proposed legislation, there can be no
debate that our

nation must stand together to make this legislation a reality.



Written to address some of the most common forms of plastic pollution, the
bill holds

large corporations accountable for waste and pollution and will save
taxpayers billions

of dollars. “The bill is directly aligned with our mission and several of
our key policies,

and that is why we support it”, said David Keeling, President of the
National Recycling

Coalition (NRC). The public has long shouldered the burden of costs of
dealing with

waste and pollution. This bill begins to shift responsibility from
consumers and asks

corporations to pay their fair share.



The NRC supports container deposits (aka bottle bills) because they are a
proven way

to significantly increase recovery of beverage containers and reduce litter
and plastic

pollution. While only ten states have bottle bills, those states recycle
roughly half of all

the beverage containers recovered in the US. The Container Recycling
Institute

estimates that a national bottle bill could increase our current 33%
beverage container

recovery rate up to 80%. Doing so could support 90,000 jobs in recycling,
reduce litter

and harmful marine debris, and result in savings of hundreds of millions of
taxpayer

dollars currently spent on clean-up efforts for our roads and public spaces.

For too long we have attempted small fixes to our individual recycling
programs and as

a result our recycling system is operating at a failing grade level. We
need the intestinal

and intellectual fortitude to implement a comprehensive recycling policy
that will truly

allow us to move closer to zero waste and a circular economy. The Break
Free From

Plastic Act will do this. Doing so would actually be good for business and
the

environment.



The National Recycling Coalition is proud of the bill’s sponsors and
encourages

Senators and Representatives from around the nation to join the growing
list of over

thirty co-sponsors.



Instead of watching our recycling rates drop, we should be doing everything
we can to

reduce emissions and eliminate waste in our resource-constrained world.
Given the

current state of our infrastructure and the projected growth in production
of virgin

materials, we need bold policy with systemic solutions and economic drivers
to redirect

our path towards sustainable resource management.



Mr. Keeling added, “Our current system of resource management has been a
good

start, but for the sake of our climate, our environment, and our public
spaces, we need

to do more, and we need to do it better. A unified national effort like
that called for by

the “Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020” is a step in the right
direction.”



The National Recycling Coalition <https://nrcrecycles.org/> is a non-profit
organization that is focused on the promotion and

enhancement of recycling in the United States. We are 23-affiliated
recycling organizations strong,

and have a network of more than 6,000 members that extends across waste
reduction, reuse,

recycling, and composting. The organization works to maintain a prosperous
and productive

recycling system that is committed to the conservation of natural
resources, as well as accelerate

sustainable approaches to the management of discarded materials.
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