[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6517740,"mediaKeyId","5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8","parentId",5402580,"title","Witnesses urge federal investment to expand recycling access, strengthen data and reach multifamily and rural households","audioSeconds",2791,"startMs",2435000,"endMs",5226000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8&start=2435&end=5226","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8/thumbnail_2435000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6517740/Witnesses-urge-federal-investment-to-expand-recycling-access-strengthen-data-and-reach-multifamily-and-rural-households","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517740-ef4cd126376e52bbc42a6f20bb4795ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128273&Signature=W7~8qeMTOL0~1ptCJn1YI8HKXemPWWYEnwwgr12HiGb2YE8Ga41whGpaTCsHJHmIrQrmwpEmo58uycX5nPK2qW8ka8k72O5pTxFsqdrkC95~-ve~g3GPB6Xv3dhoypSa6qH-kuQPoznXYvZA0H1xMQqJf1Ust1YYk0O6JMZAPgq2apQmpuP7ig97uPyl1YzuVcAiu5CC2Fad5IP~h5LxeRPw~AE3gyTHOWnOZ8BIZbZOUx42nzCJo-Y-EX9B2mkvj5m283tRlU9f~g77Vt5OBD7UQj~bpkBGuABxBnjBUGHv4FJXFAhkXSS2Vl1BruMlglnebJR3QMsI8vM~LrC9IA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce","date","2025-07-09T21:38:43Z","article","Witnesses told the subcommittee that improving collection, labeling and market demand are essential to raising recycling rates and bringing feedstocks to domestic manufacturers.

Keith Harrison, founder and CEO of The Recycling Partnership, said the nation has “not invested in The US system to really level up the recycling rate” and detailed five components of a healthy system: design, capture (access), participation, recovery infrastructure and end markets. She said, “Only 73% of our nation's households have access to recycling,” and identified multifamily housing and rural communities as persistent gaps.

Harrison and other witnesses recommended targeted federal actions: expand Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grants under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, pass the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (RIAA) to fund pilots for communities without nearby facilities, and pursue the Steward Act and Circle Act to support rural and domestic investment. Harrison said investment would create jobs and domestic feedstock: she cited potential benefits including “200,000 new jobs, more than 8,000,000,000 of materials returned to the economy, $11,000,000,000 of savings in taxpayers and local governments.”

Members from both parties described local examples. Rep. Gabe Carter discussed New Orleans’ SWIFR award and how a new material‑recovery facility (MRF) and education can raise diversion from festivals and events. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and others asked about glass and the transportation cost dynamics that make glass recycling financially challenging in smaller counties.

Witnesses said consistent national labeling (PAC Act / BAC Act proposals) and better data collection — through bills that would standardize measurement and reporting — would reduce contamination and boost end‑market confidence. No formal votes were taken; members asked for follow‑up information and pledged to consider how federal grants and tax incentives could be targeted to close access and data gaps.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Beyond the Blue Bin: Forging a Federal Landscape for Recycling Innovation and Economic Growth","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses described access gaps—one said about 73% of U.S. households have curbside recycling—and urged use of IIJA grants, SWIFR funding, RIAA pilots and EPR to expand service to apartments, rural areas and underserved communities.","taxTitle","Energy and Commerce: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1824,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6517744,"Members press for federal EPR, labeling and funding while debating global plastics treaty role",1008,1602000,2610000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8&start=1602&end=2610","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8/thumbnail_1602000.jpg","/articles/6517744/Members-press-for-federal-EPR-labeling-and-funding-while-debating-global-plastics-treaty-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517744-aecf36e411624462a0eceb297dc9390a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128273&Signature=GmAomJY9w~FXZ9oKrFnIB~Q78i8A0miCX-c9gjiOHyxbh52UtlqkXYbmidu72NCoiyan6FQt1foEsjWi0l7TxtGYCdb7C6tsfdvjW6dKsBSOw-yDfEcexl4kwQLvQi2zjLItLDoD9D1-i2DpUQzDwLkEuuKWauuzBUOf4La29MdDTgjPlSO9MK24fKrvgF4hLdEO2gBETDGOMfWvi6v0M8vyZTtxjD1x5y5j9RqLuyjVyL6tpbMNTQHu1R566tDkijwFFpF1ixK4zFHWwIP-kU3pAhgrTIC8dUjMrleiDW4rqu8dldV8hyRhunQKRzqZT~3Wpvacvl456BfAVQkK-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Subcommittee members used the hearing to press for federal action on extended producer responsibility (EPR), national labeling standards and grants to modernize recycling systems.

Ranking Member Paul Tonko urged a systemwide approach that includes reduction and reuse as well as recycling and said basic gaps must be addressed before relying on new technologies: “More than 1 quarter of Americans do not have access to recycling, and less than 1 half recycle at home.” He promoted improved data, labeling and access as immediate priorities.

Members and witnesses discussed several legislative proposals cited during the hearing:
- The Recycling and Compost Accountability Act (RCAA) and the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (RIAA) were cited by witnesses as bipartisan bills to strengthen data, access and infrastructure (transcript references to HR 4109 and HR 2145).
- Witnesses urged passage of the Steward Act (consolidating previous measures for rural and underserved communities) and the Circle Act, a recycling infrastructure tax-credit proposal introduced the day of the hearing.
- Dan Felton and others urged federal labeling standards such as the Packaging and Claims Knowledge Act (PAC Act) to reduce a patchwork of state rules; Representative Weber described a voluntary national standard he called the BAC Act for consistent recyclability claims.

Several members pressed for active U.S. participation in the UN global plastics treaty negotiations and cautioned against production caps or measures that could disadvantage U.S. industry. Ross Eisenberg urged U.S. engagement in Geneva to “arrive at final text” that incentivizes waste management and collection. At the same time, members including Rep. Raul Ruiz and Rep. Bobby Rush (remarks mirrored in testimony) stressed that treaty outcomes should not undermine domestic manufacturing or public health protections.

Witnesses recommended immediate steps for the committee: mark up and pass existing infrastructure- and data-focused bills, support a federal recyclability labeling framework, fund data collection and education, and align procurement to support domestic recycled-content markets. The subcommittee recorded testimony and no formal actions were taken at the hearing.","Members and witnesses discussed pending recycling bills, extended producer responsibility, national labeling standards and the U.S. role at global plastics treaty negotiations; witnesses urged federal engagement, data funding, and consistent rules to spur investment and market demand for recycled content.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6517749,"Witness: U.S. exports most e-waste; domestic hydrometallurgy plants could speed recovery of critical minerals",100,2130000,2230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8&start=2130&end=2230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8/thumbnail_2130000.jpg","/articles/6517749/Witness-US-exports-most-e-waste-domestic-hydrometallurgy-plants-could-speed-recovery-of-critical-minerals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517749-c43a1dd59a2ac2e7be5ea56fd5f0c424/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128273&Signature=i6FKVv0g7aDlrip8wFO2yxKZ6R8-NkDsZxMF~TavcKNiWgSXdmJKn0qPm7ZHuZM-8TA~JoGtaQ4dOf3XvWBb2kgWYX5C~AbdwiFMUJ-rQTqDbMZPPe-NHWg9DAGnxX~18nT2RCZrryKUGRULlG0U7IiUT0BqWDYU68kAFys84nNxYEv29iB1D~qEHgtcKb3dIQEu0wOH9KnDwAHhmuz9gmgDTjqXZpVaas8gapf3TQQ0fbtU0aJsa1qCYtuOVATUQ~D4ANTLJDYfLatAfTTCE9RsTwNjfLToLa8jRjQfrsl3TkeHE-Q1NmJNAy4nREfiNWI-6f67fFfGwyTSNrU4Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Witnesses and members highlighted electronic waste as a growing source of critical minerals and a national security concern, with testimony describing gaps in domestic processing capacity and proposals to boost U.S. refining and recovery.

Matt Bedingfield, president of Mint Innovations, told the panel, “We generated approximately 7 to 8,000,000 metric tons of e waste each year in this country.” He said more than 6,000,000 metric tons of that volume are disposed in landfills and that the country lacks domestic refining capacity to recover many of the valuable metals in recycled electronic components.

Mint Innovations described a hydrometallurgy process that the company says can recover copper, gold, palladium, silver and tin with smaller plants than traditional pyrometallurgical smelters. Bedingfield said, “Our plants cost approximately $30,000,000, generate no emissions, and take only 12 months to deploy.” He said the company’s Texas plant planned for Longview will consume up to 8,000 tons of printed circuit boards per year and bring recovered metals directly into U.S. supply chains.

Members noted the strategic implications: many reshoring manufacturers require domestically recovered metals and battery materials. Rep. Raul Ruiz and others cited programs in the bipartisan infrastructure law intended to support battery collection, materials processing and voluntary labeling. Several members urged directing federal funds to state programs that can incentivize domestic processing and to prioritize companies with onshore recovery capacity for government contracts.

Committee members also asked about data security and exports. Bedingfield described data destruction practices and said, “We shred to below 2 millimeters, which is NSA standard for data destruction.” Witnesses stressed that much e‑waste is exported to Europe and Asia where established refineries operate; panelists recommended federal grants, procurement preferences and pilot programs to help U.S. recyclers scale domestic recovery.

No formal action was taken. Members signaled interest in using grant programs and procurement rules to grow domestic e‑waste processing and to reduce export of recoverable critical minerals.","Mint Innovations and others told the subcommittee the U.S. generates millions of tons of electronic waste and currently exports much of it for refining; company described lower-cost, quicker hydrometallurgy plants to recover copper, gold, palladium, silver and battery materials domestically.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6517755,"House subcommittee hears push to regulate advanced recycling as manufacturing",113,1946000,2059000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8&start=1946&end=2059","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5402580-a9c78c395520f2bff912a8b3448156e8/thumbnail_1946000.jpg","/articles/6517755/House-subcommittee-hears-push-to-regulate-advanced-recycling-as-manufacturing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517755-4a4ea51619b97bc61086797056c1da4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775128273&Signature=aZsNNA1EqlsvHf2UpYf4O30mTVS7k9~q97D02GeRcAjVl4dxI6U2dDon8lo2HtvUqM7V74ZZ9GN4LzGOFeudcyPyA4vdYnHZVLpfx~KbE0RY6gVIo1sH0A5GGIOIa8XS75kvYSDkOwJD3CEn2TPuhecplBDexdBqPixJkLyobINB4DblcuUewRMQs9dNRF~a~3VUi2VPnFjQ-s7a-rAsCLWKKEufmMOOZdGZsUg-9o5yY5GO5a4g9YnFqmOQeecOb-W-E8iqonpk~JUzMdoPw4xxJMUW-BbqbUPPTvlFKyYIIZYdKG0Apvuo8CWpWZocZbRyAe~A1q-WY7ZnxS-l3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment Charles Palmer convened a hearing that focused in part on whether “advanced” or “chemical” recycling should be treated as manufacturing under federal law or regulated as solid waste.

The question matters for permitting and investor certainty. Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers at the American Chemistry Council, urged the committee to clear regulatory hurdles for advanced recycling and to “regulate advanced recycling properly.” He illustrated the technology this way: “Imagine you could take a cake and you could you could take that cake back down to its elements, the eggs, the flour, the the milk, the sugar, the butter, and then you can make it into a cake again. That is advanced recycling.”

Why it matters: proponents say advanced recycling can process contaminated or hard-to-recycle plastics that mechanical systems cannot, creating feedstock for domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on virgin resins. Opponents and some committee members warned that the term “chemical recycling” covers many distinct technologies with differing environmental footprints and outcomes, so a single regulatory label may be inappropriate.

Keith Harrison, founder and CEO of The Recycling Partnership, said technologies described as chemical recycling vary widely and must be assessed individually for environmental and human-health impacts, supply-chain viability, and end markets. She cautioned, “Fuel alone is not recycling,” stressing that converting plastic to fuel does not meet common definitions of recycling.

Witnesses and members urged a two-part approach: (1) fill gaps in basic collection, labeling, data and access for proven mechanical recycling systems, and (2) evaluate advanced recycling technologies case-by-case with clear, consistent federal rules that give investors confidence while protecting air, water and public health. Dan Felton, president and CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association, said federal classification would “be meaningful” for certain food-contact and medical applications that need high‑grade recycled feedstocks.

Members from both parties pressed for regulatory clarity. Rep. Dan Crenshaw and others said federal action to define advanced recycling as manufacturing would reduce permitting uncertainty that has chilled investment; witnesses noted 25 states already treat some advanced recycling as manufacturing. At the same time, several members and witnesses warned that any change in definition should not create a way to avoid existing environmental standards or bypass community protections.

The subcommittee made no legislative decision at the hearing. Members cited pending and proposed federal actions — including bills to improve recycling infrastructure and labeling — as possible vehicles for addressing both the classification question and the related funding and data needs.

Looking ahead: lawmakers said they want clearer federal definitions and consistent permitting while ensuring environmental safeguards and transparency for communities near proposed facilities.","Witnesses and members debated classifying chemical/advanced recycling as manufacturing versus solid waste operations, with industry calling for federal clarity and advocates urging rigorous environmental review and transparency.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Witnesses urge federal investment to expand recycling access, strengthen data and reach multifamily and rural households

Members press for federal EPR, labeling and funding while debating global plastics treaty role

Witness: U.S. exports most e-waste; domestic hydrometallurgy plants could speed recovery of critical minerals

House subcommittee hears push to regulate advanced recycling as manufacturing