110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 122 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Whereas America Recycles Day is on November 15th of each 
year; 
Whereas America Recycles Day is an annual national aware-
ness 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 Pro-
tection Agency had set a national waste reduction and re-
cycling goal, and 26 States had enacted laws making re-
cycling 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 recy-
cling 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 pollu-
tion; 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 recy-
cled products have been created, including remanufac-
turing 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 prod-
ucts, community curbside pickup programs have de-
creased and recycling rates for certain recyclable house-
hold products, like plastic and aluminum containers, have 
decreased or stayed the same; 
Whereas Federal, State, and local governments should en-
courage increased recycling of recyclable household prod-
ucts; and 
Whereas there remains significant opportunity to increase re-
cycling 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 mate-
rials: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) supports the goal and mission of America 
Recycles Day; and 
(2) encourages all Americans to participate in 
promoting the social, environmental, and economic
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benefits of recycling and buying recycled-content 
products. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 13, 
2007. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 122 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goal and mission of America 
Recycles Day.