Ameripen says data-driven policies are key to recycling, circularity

As we prepare to celebrate America Recycles Day Nov. 15, St. Paul, Minnesota-based Ameripen, an association that represents the packaging industry, urges communities and lawmakers to balance the need for packaging with sound solutions to grow a more sustainable future, an effective circular economy and systems that achieve positive environmental outcomes.

Ameripen says it considers every day America Recycles Day given the momentum to create a more sustainable future. “There is an unquestionable need to increase recycling rates in the U.S.,” says Ameripen Executive Director Dan Felton, “America does recycle, and recycling works. But it’s not enough, and we need our local and national approach to drive effective and efficient, equitable and fair and results-based recovery, recycling and waste reduction policies that enable everyone to reach their goals.”

He adds, “Effective policy is based on good data. This approach is evident in current proposed federal legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in the form of The Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (HR 8183) and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (HR 8059).” 

The association says it supports passing these bills by the end of the current legislative session and moving them to President Biden to be signed into law; U.S. Senate companion bills were passed unanimously in July 2022. 

If passed into law, Felton says, “HR 8183 would provide grants for projects to make recycling programs more accessible to rural and disadvantaged communities. HR 8059 would require the development of data to provide the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the resources that will help inform real and actionable recycling policy with improved collection and access to reporting and data across current and emerging recycling materials and technologies.”

Ameripen says it is focused on moving the ball forward. To that end, the association and various partners will release a number of studies and publications that report and analyze data and other inputs to bring the facts forward. “The aim is to support effective local, state, and national strategies to strengthen policies to propel forward the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ strategy while amplifying the value of packaging," Felton says. 

Aligned with Environmental Protection Agency National Recycling Strategy, which calls for more support in recycling market development, Ameripen says it is expanding its work in this area to help provide guidance and economic insights into the value of further investment into materials management systems in the U.S. To shine a light on the economic role and value of recycling and the circular economy, the association will release the study, “Economic Impact of Recycling Market Development Centers.”  Along with the environmental and sustainability contributions of recycling market development centers, strong economic benefits are found in creating or enhancing recycling facilities. From jobs to taxes and other positive outcomes, the growth of recycling market development centers across the nation could enable communities to handle a wider array of recyclable packaging and other goods, Ameripen says. That, in turn, will make it possible for recyclers and communities to handle larger capacities and emerging packaging formats and materials.

This new study will join the Ameripen and Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2021 report, “Best Practices for State Recycling Market Development Centers,” designed to help encourage more investment into market development and provide states or regions looking to advance or expand programs with a guide toward best practices and necessary considerations.

Additionally, while states continue to embrace or explore extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation for packaging, Ameripen says its advocacy approach will gather interested parties, including industry, nongovernment organizations, legislators and agencies and communities, in a shared responsibility dialog. 

Felton says, “Smart packaging producer responsibility law requires packaging industry producer funding and participation for the next-gen recycling infrastructure; improved packaging recovery and processing, consumer education, sound reporting and compliance requirements; and continued development of the shared circular economy recovery and recycling chain.

“We support the principles of balanced packaging producer responsibility legislation,” he continues adds. “However, it cannot be punitive or designed to deselect certain types of packaging. Nor can it limit options for consumers, businesses and critical industry sectors, such as food and health care, that rely on the absolute necessity for safe and secure packaging that protects, secures and maintains the quality of the products upon which we all rely.”