I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2159 
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
establish a consumer recycling education and outreach grant program, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 23, 2021 
Mr. PHILLIPS (for himself and Mr. JOYCE of Ohio) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency to establish a consumer recycling education 
and outreach grant program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Recycling Enhance-
ments to Collection and Yield through Consumer Learning 
and Education Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘RECYCLE Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF ADMINISTRATOR. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. 
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SEC. 3. CONSUMER RECYCLING EDUCATION AND OUT-
REACH GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall establish 
a program (referred to in this section as the ‘‘grant pro-
gram’’) to award competitive grants to eligible entities to 
improve the effectiveness of residential and community re-
cycling programs through public education and outreach. 
(b) CRITERIA.—The Administrator shall award 
grants under the grant program for projects that, by using 
one or more eligible activities described in subsection (e)— 
(1) inform the public about residential or com-
munity recycling programs; 
(2) provide information about the recycled ma-
terials that are accepted as part of a residential or 
community recycling program that provides for the 
separate collection of residential solid waste from re-
cycled material; and 
(3) increase collection rates and decrease con-
tamination in residential and community recycling 
programs. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An entity that is eligible to 
receive a grant under the grant program is— 
(A) a State; 
(B) a unit of local government; 
(C) a Tribal government; 
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(D) a nonprofit organization; or 
(E) a public-private partnership. 
(2) COORDINATION
OF
ACTIVITIES.—Two or 
more entities described in paragraph (1) may receive 
a grant under the grant program to coordinate the 
provision of information to residents that may access 
two or more residential recycling programs, includ-
ing programs that accept different recycled mate-
rials, to provide to the residents information regard-
ing differences among those residential recycling 
programs. 
(d) REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant under the 
grant program, an eligible entity shall demonstrate 
to the Administrator that the grant funds will be 
used to encourage the collection of recycled materials 
that are sold to an existing or developing market. 
(2) BUSINESS PLANS AND FINANCIAL DATA.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity may 
make a demonstration under paragraph (1) 
through the submission to the Administrator of 
appropriate business plans and financial data. 
(B) 
CONFIDENTIALITY.—The 
Adminis-
trator shall treat any business plans or financial 
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data received under subparagraph (A) as con-
fidential information. 
(e) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under the grant program may use the grant 
funds for activities including— 
(1) public service announcements; 
(2) a door-to-door education and outreach cam-
paign; 
(3) social media and digital outreach; 
(4) an advertising campaign on recycling aware-
ness; 
(5) the development and dissemination of— 
(A) a toolkit for a municipal and commer-
cial recycling program; 
(B) information on the importance of qual-
ity in the recycling stream; 
(C) information on the economic and envi-
ronmental benefits of recycling; and 
(D) information on what happens to mate-
rials after the materials are placed into a resi-
dential or community recycling program; 
(6) businesses recycling outreach; 
(7) bin, cart, and other receptacle labeling and 
signs; and 
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