ISRI meets with state legislatures organization

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, says it recently participated as one of eight private sector groups at an in-person meeting of the National Conference on State Legislature (NCSL) Public-Private Partnership on Recycling.

That partnership also includes state legislative members from 15 states; the Washington-based American Chemistry Council and American Beverage Association; Houston-based WM (formerly Waste Management): Memphis, Tennessee-based International Paper; and multinational companies Amazon, Google and PepsiCo.

The partnership met following NCSL’s annual Legislative Summit in Denver, which brought together nearly 5,000 state legislators and staff members. It also allowed ISRI Chair Brian Henesey, a vice president with Denver-based Rocky Mountain Recycling Inc. (RMR), to take part.

“It’s easy for me to understand the value of the ISRI speakers with expertise and knowledge in the recycling industry who were brought in by the NCSL Public-Private Partnership in Recycling at our meeting in Denver,” Sen. Elaine Bowers says. “I appreciated learning about the legislation that other states have considered, and I look forward to working with this Partnership to develop recycling best practices so we aren’t reinventing the wheel as we move forward in Kansas.”

Henesey says, “Recycling is a high-tech, highly innovative and scientific industry. Given all the continued advances, ISRI understands the importance of connecting recycling with education at all levels. ISRI is grateful to NCSL for giving us a forum to share our knowledge on the recycling industry, and how we can partner with state legislatures to meet the public education needs of tomorrow’s recyclers.”

ISRI member companies spoke on residential recycling concerns, though it was noted that residential materials are a small fraction of materials recycled daily, with the majority being industrial materials, the association says.

Speakers also discussed definitions used in laws addressing recycling, global perspectives on extended producer responsibility (EPR) involving fiber and plastics recycling, chemical and mechanical recycling, financing recycling infrastructure, public education, metals recycling operations, as well as electric vehicle battery, lithium-ion and other battery recycling concerns, according to ISRI.

Henesey adds, “ISRI is supportive of partnerships like NCSL’s Public-Private Partnership on Recycling, which provide critical opportunities for the exchange of ideas and experiences. The Recycling Partnership creates a forum to discuss best practices, which encourages sound state laws.”