Tweeted by Rob Watson:

Federal Budget & America’s Recycling Infrastructure

“the American Recycling infrastructure… provides three-quarters of a million jobs and tens of billions of dollars in economic activity…”

Written Bob Gedert, President, National Recycling Coalition; Senior Recycling Consultant, RRS; SWEEP Steering Committee Member

“..The President’s proposed fiscal 2018 budget, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) … budget allocation is proposed to be cut by one third [eliminate] over 50 programs and 3,200 jobs. …including the Sustainable Materials Management program and the Waste Reduction Model. [Reducing] ..critical support of recycling and negatively impact the American recycling industry.

…in order to have any chance of reaching for Zero Waste, our country requires an upgraded recycling infrastructure….

..Instead of shipping nearly half of all recovered recyclables to overseas markets, a refreshed recycling infrastructure will support new American end markets…

Investing in American recycling infrastructure will also lower impacts on climate change. The energy required to make new products from recovered material is a fraction of that to create them from virgin materials and tighter, closed loop systems lower transportation impacts.

Contact your local Congressional Representative: ask for support of the US EPA budget, as well as infrastructure support for the American recycling system…”