<div dir="ltr"><div style="text-align:center"><div><img src="cid:ii_k7dh0sjb0" alt="image.png" width="160" height="136"><br></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b style="font-size:11pt;text-align:left"><i><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial-BoldItalicMT;color:black"> </span></i></b><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial-BoldItalicMT;color:black">National Recycling

Coalition Supports Legislation to</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial-BoldItalicMT;color:black">“Break Free From Plastic

Pollution”</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><i><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial-BoldItalicMT;color:black"> </span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">ERIE, CO

FEB 28, 2020 -- The landmark legislation known as the “Break Free From</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Plastic

Pollution Act of 2020” introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and U.S. Rep.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Alan

Lowenthal, D-CA, comes at a time when our nation is in the midst of the most</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">significant

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

differences</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">of opinion

on the details of any proposed legislation, there can be no debate that our</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">nation

must stand together to make this legislation a reality.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Written to

address some of the most common forms of plastic pollution, the bill holds</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">large

corporations accountable for waste and pollution and will save taxpayers

billions</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">of

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

policies,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">and that

is why we support it”, said David Keeling, President of the National Recycling</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Coalition

(NRC). The public has long shouldered the burden of costs of dealing with</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">waste and

pollution. This bill begins to shift responsibility from consumers and asks</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">corporations

to pay their fair share.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">The NRC

supports container deposits (aka bottle bills) because they are a proven way</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">to

significantly increase recovery of beverage containers and reduce litter and

plastic<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">pollution.

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

all</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">the

beverage containers recovered in the US. The Container Recycling Institute</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">estimates

that a national bottle bill could increase our current 33% beverage container</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">recovery

rate up to 80%. Doing so could support 90,000 jobs in recycling, reduce litter</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">and

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

taxpayer</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">dollars

currently spent on clean-up efforts for our roads and public spaces.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">For too

long we have attempted small fixes to our individual recycling programs and as</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">a result

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

intestinal</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">and

intellectual fortitude to implement a comprehensive recycling policy that will

truly</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">allow us

to move closer to zero waste and a circular economy. The Break Free From</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Plastic

Act will do this. Doing so would actually be good for business and the</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">environment.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">The

National Recycling Coalition is proud of the bill’s sponsors and encourages</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Senators

and Representatives from around the nation to join the growing list of over</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">thirty

co-sponsors.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Instead of

watching our recycling rates drop, we should be doing everything we can to</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">reduce

emissions and eliminate waste in our resource-constrained world. Given the</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">current

state of our infrastructure and the projected growth in production of virgin</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">materials,

we need bold policy with systemic solutions and economic drivers to redirect</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">our path

towards sustainable resource management.<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">Mr.

Keeling added, “Our current system of resource management has been a good</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">start, but

for the sake of our climate, our environment, and our public spaces, we need</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">to do

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

for by</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black">the “Break

Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020” is a step in the right direction.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:black"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">The </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:blue"><a href="https://nrcrecycles.org/">National Recycling Coalition</a> </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">is a non-profit

organization that is focused on the promotion and</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">enhancement

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

strong,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">and have

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

reuse,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">recycling,

and composting. The organization works to maintain a prosperous and productive</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">recycling

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

accelerate</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">

</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;font-family:ArialMT;color:rgb(51,51,51)">sustainable approaches to

the management of discarded materials.</span></p></div></div></div>