With Recycling, Let’s Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

Recycling is not perfect, but it is getting better. As we celebrate America Recycles Day this month, members of the Recycling Infrastructure Now (RIN) Coalition urge leaders in all sectors and at all levels of government to play a part in supporting proper materials collection systems. We are encouraged by recent action but we must remain focused on progress, not perfection, because recycling is a key component  of a sustainable future. 

The RIN Coalition recently supported federal efforts to expand and improve our nation’s recycling system. We were happy to see the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act include $275 million in grants for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program in what became the largest federal investment in recycling in 30 years. 

In September, more than $100 million in SWIFR funding was committed across the country to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across the country. To date, 25 communities have received funding totaling more than $73 million. This is a huge step forward in increasing the national recycling rate by improving local materials management and educating households and consumers about residential and community recycling programs.

For recycling to work best, it must be a joint effort between federal, state and local leaders to identify and fix the gaps in our infrastructure. By investing in better collection, sorting and processing facilities, we can collect more recyclables, reduce our need for new materials and move toward a more sustainable future. The SWIFR grants exemplify the collaborative action necessary to modernize our recycling system and increase our recycling rates nationwide. By working together as consumers, organizations and policymakers, we can help our country reach its fullest recycling potential.

The progress shouldn’t stop with the SWIFR grants. And thankfully it doesn’t. In the coming months, the EPA will announce the recipients of its Recycling Education Outreach grant program, which focuses on improving recycling and composting programs through public education and outreach.

At the RIN Coalition, we are no strangers to working with leaders to help create commonsense solutions. Last year, we supported two crucial bills, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act. 

The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act aimed to establish pilot programs designed to enhance recycling accessibility in underserved communities, while the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act would significantly increase the EPA's ability to collect and analyze data on recycling systems. 

Both of these bills gained widespread, bipartisan support from members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives and successfully passed through the U.S. Senate. We are hopeful this momentum will continue and hope lawmakers make these meaningful pieces of legislation a priority because they will have a real impact. These bills will allow for a more precise evaluation of the efficiency of our current recycling systems, aiding in the targeted improvement of areas in need. 

Meaningful change will not happen overnight but this past year shows us we are heading in the right direction. Now is the time to continue this momentum. The path is in front of us, and we all need to be part of the solution that will take us toward success. 

Franklin Davis is Chair of the Recycling Infrastructure Now (RIN) Coalition, a coalition of trade associations, consumer packaged goods companies, retailers, environmental non-government organizations, and nonprofits that support improving and expanding recycling in the U.S.