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Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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House recognizes America Recycles Day

13 November 2007

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution authored by U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) to federally recognize the goals and mission of America Recycles Day, a national awareness event on November 15 that promotes recycling and buying recycled products. 

“It’s fitting that Congress passed this measure the same week that America Recycles Day will celebrate its 10-year anniversary,” said Inslee, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who sponsored the bipartisan resolution, H.Con.Res.122, which had 105 cosponsors.  “Now that global warming is upon us, the wisdom, prudence and genius of recycling is even more apparent.”

America Recycles Day, the only nationwide public awareness event dedicated to encouraging recycling, has been coordinated by the non-profit, non-partisan National Recycling Coalition since 1997.  In the last decade, it has grown to include millions of Americans at community events nationwide. 

"This year America Recycles Day falls in the midst of national debate about how our country can most effectively respond to global warming.  The fact is that an increase in recycling at our homes and offices is the simplest way we, as citizens, can combat climate change," commented Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition. 

One American Recycles Day event scheduled this year in the Puget Sound area will be sponsored by Dell, Microsoft and Intechra on Saturday, November 17 at Safeco Field in Seattle.  Area residents will have an opportunity to dispose of used electronics, such as computers, monitors, printers, scanners, cell phones, blackberries, and video-game consoles.  In 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), estimated that about 2 million tons of electronics became obsolete, of which between 1.5 and 1.9 million tons were discarded, mostly in landfills.  These devices are particularly hazardous because most contain significant quantities of lead, as well as other heavy metals like mercury, chromium and zinc.

Passage of the congressional resolution on America Recycles Day also comes during the same week that the EPA is expected to release new data on recycling trends in the United States.  At the federal agency’s last count, recycling rates for steel and paper were on the rise, but slightly declining for glass and aluminum.  A small decrease in community recycling programs also was noted.  The new EPA numbers are slated to be released on Thursday, which is America Recycles Day.

“One ton of mixed recyclables can keep the equivalent of 2.8 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” added Inslee, who serves on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.  “That’s significant, and reminds us that tried and true methods like recycling will play a key role in the fight against global warming.”

Below is the text of Inslee’s resolution on America Recycles Day.
 
H.CON.RES.122
Whereas America Recycles Day is on November 15th of each year
(Introduced in House)

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

Supporting the goal and mission of America Recycles Day.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 20, 2007

Mr. INSLEE (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. DICKS, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WOLF, Ms. BEAN, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, and Ms. LEE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Supporting the goal and mission of America Recycles Day.

Whereas America Recycles Day is on November 15th of each year;

Whereas America Recycles Day is an annual national awareness event, the mission of which is promoting the social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and buying recycled-content products;

Whereas the goal of America Recycles Day is to increase the purchase of recycled-content products and recycling throughout America;

Whereas Americans have a long tradition of recycling;

Whereas, in 1896, the first recycling center was established in New York City, and, by 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency had set a national waste reduction and recycling goal, and 26 States had enacted laws making recycling an integral part of their solid waste management plans;

Whereas, in 2003, homes, businesses, and institutions in the United States produced more than 236,000,000 tons of municipal solid waste;

Whereas this amounts to approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per person in the United States per day, and is almost triple the amount of municipal solid waste generated in 1960;

Whereas the Environmental Protection Agency reports that 30 percent of municipal solid waste is recovered for recycling or composting, 14 percent is incinerated, and the remaining 56 percent is disposed of in landfills;

Whereas a significant amount of the waste that is incinerated or sent to landfills can be recovered for recycling or composting through source separation, mechanical separation, and community-based recycling programs;

Whereas recycling saves energy, which in turn can reduce American dependence on foreign oil and prevent pollution associated with energy production; reduces the need to extract certain natural resources; can create more jobs than incineration and landfilling; can cost communities less than other waste disposal options; supplies valuable raw materials to industry; stimulates green technology development; and reduces the need for new landfills and combustors;

Whereas, over the past 10 years, many new markets for recycled products have been created, including remanufacturing plastic containers into other plastic containers, fleece, carpet, car parts, strapping, stuffing, bottles, pipe, lawn and garden products, injection molded products, and plastic lumber;

Whereas, while there are many new markets for recycled products, community curbside pickup programs have decreased and recycling rates for certain recyclable household products, like plastic and aluminum containers, have decreased or stayed the same;

Whereas Federal, State, and local governments should encourage increased recycling of recyclable household products; and

Whereas there remains significant opportunity to increase recycling in the United States, and Americans should be encouraged to participate in educational, organizational, and legislative endeavors that promote waste separation methods, community-based recycling programs, and expanded utilization of recovered materials: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

(1) supports the goal and mission of America Recycles Day; and

(2) encourages all Americans to participate in promoting the social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and buying recycled-content products.