III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 122 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2007 

Received and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goal and mission of America Recycles Day. 

Whereas America Recycles Day is on November 15th of each 

year; 

Whereas America Recycles Day is an annual national awareness event, the mission of which is promoting the social, 

environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and 

buying recycled-content products; 


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Whereas the goal of America Recycles Day is to increase the 

purchase of recycled-content products and recycling 

throughout America; 

Whereas Americans have a long tradition of recycling; 

Whereas in 1896, the first recycling center was established 

in New York City, and, by 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency had set a national waste reduction and recycling goal, and 26 States had enacted laws making recycling an integral part of their solid waste management 

plans; 

Whereas in 2003, homes, businesses, and institutions in the 

United States produced more than 236,000,000 tons of 

municipal solid waste; 

Whereas this amounts to approximately 4.5 pounds of waste 

per person in the United States per day, and is almost 

triple the amount of municipal solid waste generated in 

1960; 

Whereas the Environmental Protection Agency reports that 

30 percent of municipal solid waste is recovered for recycling or composting, 14 percent is incinerated, and the 

remaining 56 percent is discarded in landfills; 

Whereas a significant amount of this disposed solid waste can 

be recovered for recycling or composting through source 

separation, mechanical separation, and community-based 

recycling programs; 

Whereas recycling saves energy, which in turn can reduce 

American dependence on foreign oil and prevent pollution; reduces the need for certain natural resources; can 

create more jobs; can cost communities less than other 

waste disposal options; supplies valuable raw materials to 


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industry; stimulates green technology development; and 

reduces the need for new landfills and combustors; 

Whereas over the past 10 years, many new markets for recycled products have been created, including remanufacturing plastic containers into other plastic containers, 

fleece, carpet, car parts, strapping, stuffing, bottles, pipe, 

lawn and garden products, injection molded products, 

and plastic lumber; 

Whereas while there are many new markets for recycled products, community curbside pickup programs have decreased and recycling rates for certain recyclable household products, like plastic and aluminum containers, have 

decreased or stayed the same; 

Whereas Federal, State, and local governments should encourage increased recycling of recyclable household products; and 

Whereas there remains significant opportunity to increase recycling in the United States, and Americans should be 

encouraged to participate in endeavors that promote 

waste separation methods, community-based recycling 

programs, and expanded utilization of recovered materials: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the goal and mission of America 

4 Recycles Day; and 

5 (2) encourages all Americans to participate in 

6 promoting the social, environmental, and economic 


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1 benefits of recycling and buying recycled-content 

2 products. 

Passed the House of Representatives November 13, 

2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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