Infrastructure Investment is Vital for U.S. to Reach Recycling Goals
The plastic and vinyl industries have been diligently working to become a core part of infrastructure investment and recycling solutions. Throughout the U.S., having a unified recycling system is something that has proven difficult to accomplish. America’s recycling infrastructure has not kept up with our current waste stream of approximately 292.4 million tons, with less than a quarter of that being recycled.
The collection, processing, and remanufacturing of materials into a new product are the core components of the system. Recycling not only conserves valuable resources but also helps create jobs within the U.S. Although recycling secures the economy by providing a domestic source of materials, there is also a large responsibility that falls on the government as well.
Infrastructure investment requires substantial capital in order to keep up with our rapidly developing society. When it comes to recycling infrastructure investment, it has often been overlooked and has resulted in poor recycling communication and management. The average person in the U.S. contributes approximately 4.9 pounds of municipal solid waste each day. Without the proper tools and infrastructure, the current waste management systems in place will continue to be overburdened by the amount of waste our society produces.
Vinyl’s contribution to municipal solid waste represents only 2.6% of all plastic that is landfilled. Although vinyl makes up a very small portion of the waste stream, it is still vital that we continue our positive habits and advocate for improved recycling infrastructure in order to reach our ultimate recycling goal.
As a community, it remains important for everyone to come together and advocate for change. The “EPA is requesting $10 million from Congress to support the solid waste infrastructure for recycling pilot grant program” said Acting Director for the Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Nena Shaw, who spoke at the VSC’s 2021 Vinyl Recycling Summit. This action reaffirms the primary areas of need to address the challenges that plague our recycling system.
On Aug. 10, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a $1 trillion dollar infrastructure bill. The passing of this bill will generously provide the funding to aid the improvement of recycling management infrastructure. It will support”
- Reduced contamination in the recycling stream
- Increased processing efficiency
- And improved markets
You can read more about the EPA’s national recycling strategy here.
“Sustainable materials management is critical to our nation’s health and prosperity” Shaw said. “Innovative recycling infrastructure will help us efficiently track progress towards our national recycling goal.”
