I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2821 
To provide for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate plastics waste 
reduction and support recycling research and development for the eco-
nomic and national security of the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 22, 2021 
Ms. STEVENS (for herself, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, 
and Mr. LUCAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To provide for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate 
plastics waste reduction and support recycling research 
and development for the economic and national security 
of the United States, 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 ‘‘Plastic Waste Reduc-
tion and Recycling Research Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) It is estimated that global production of 
plastic has increased from 2,000,000 tons of plastic 
per year in 1950 to 400,000,000 tons per year 
today, and of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic 
ever produced globally, 6.3 billion metric tons has 
become plastic waste. 
(2) The United States has failed to invest in 
the development of domestic recycling markets, tech-
nology and materials to make the recycling process 
more available and efficient, and as a result, the 
United States recycles only 9 percent of its plastic 
waste. 
(3) For more than 2 decades, the United States 
and other developed nations sold and exported 
106,000,000 metric tons of recyclable plastics to 
China, but in 2018 China issued a ban on contami-
nated United States plastics. 
(4) Following the 2018 China ban, more and 
more United States communities are sending recy-
clable items to landfills or incinerators. 
(5) As recycling programs have moved toward 
single-stream curbside recycling, more recyclable 
items are mixed with non-recyclable items, resulting 
in fewer potentially recyclable items actually being 
recycled and turned into new, valuable products. 
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(6) The resin identification coding system in 
use today has not been substantially updated since 
its creation in 1988. 
(7) Characterizing the type and recyclability of 
different types of plastics in use today requires up-
dated standards. 
(8) Separating and processing the many dif-
ferent types of plastics as well as the heterogenous 
materials containing multiple layers of different 
plastic types commonly in use today will require new 
sorting and recycling technologies. 
(9) There are currently limited private or public 
investments in research and development to improve 
plastic waste reduction, recycling technologies, or 
other technologies and processes to reduce the 
amount and impact of plastic waste. 
(10) The Federal Government can play an im-
portant role in supporting research and development 
and facilitating standards, tools, and technologies 
needed across the different stages of the plastics 
production and recycling ecosystem. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Interagency Committee established or 
designated under section 5. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy. 
(3) 
PARTICIPATING
AGENCIES.—The 
term 
‘‘participating agencies’’ means the agencies under 
section 5(c). 
(4) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research 
Program established under section 4. 
(5) MARINE DEBRIS.—The term ‘‘marine de-
bris’’ has the meaning provided in the Marine De-
bris Act (33 U.S.C. 1956). 
SEC. 4. PLASTIC WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING RE-
SEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSES.—The Director, 
acting through the Committee and each of the partici-
pating agencies, shall establish and implement a program 
to be known as the ‘‘Plastic Waste Reduction and Recy-
cling Research Program’’. The purposes of the Program 
shall be to— 
(1) improve the global competitiveness of the 
United States plastics recycling industry; 
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(1) the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology; 
(2) the National Science Foundation; 
(3) the Department of Energy; 
(4) the Environmental Protection Agency; 
(5) the Department of Transportation; 
(6) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration; 
(7) the Department of Agriculture; and 
(8) any other Federal agency as considered ap-
propriate by the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy. 
(d) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Committee shall— 
(1) provide for interagency coordination of Fed-
eral plastics reduction and recycling and plastic 
waste remediation research, development, and dem-
onstration, standards development, and education 
and training activities and programs of Federal de-
partments and agencies undertaken pursuant to the 
Program; 
(2) develop definitions for the following terms 
to guide the activities of the Program— 
(A) recycle; 
(B) recyclability; 
(C) remediation; 
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(D) advanced recycling; 
(E) advanced plastics; 
(F) biobased plastics; 
(G) biodegradable plastics; 
(H) microplastic; 
(I) nanoplastic; and 
(J) pyroplastic; 
(3) develop and update every 3 years a strategic 
plan, to be made publicly available, for plastic waste 
reduction and recycling and plastic waste remedi-
ation that— 
(A) 
establishes 
goals, 
priorities, 
and 
metrics for guiding and evaluating the activities 
of the Program; and 
(B) describes— 
(i) how the Program will determine 
and prioritize areas of plastic waste reduc-
tion and recycling and plastic waste reme-
diation for Federal research investments; 
(ii) the Program’s support for long- 
term funding for interdisciplinary plastic 
waste reduction and recycling research, de-
velopment, demonstration, standards devel-
opment, education, and public outreach ac-
tivities; 
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(iii) how Federal agencies partici-
pating in the Program will collaborate with 
industry and with local governments, as 
appropriate; and 
(iv) how the program will help move 
the results of research out of the labora-
tory and into commercial or municipal ap-
plication; and 
(C) with respect to the previous 3 years, 
provides a summary of— 
(i) federally funded plastic waste re-
duction and recycling and plastic waste re-
mediation research, development, and dem-
onstration; 
(ii) the adoption of improved plastic 
waste reduction and recycling technologies 
by Federal, State, and local governments 
and private entities; and 
(iii) other related activities for the 
previous 3 years; and 
(4) consider input from universities, State and 
local governments, scientific societies, and public, 
private and nonprofit plastic recycling manufactur-
ers and organizations in the development of the 
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goals, priorities and metrics required under para-
graph (3)(A). 
(e) TERMINATION.—The Interagency Committee 
shall terminate 10 years after the date on which the Com-
mittee is established under subsection (a). 
SEC. 6. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECH-
NOLOGY. 
As part of the Program, the Director of National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology shall— 
(1) establish a science program for character-
ization of plastic properties before, during, and after 
recycling and manufacturing, development of classi-
fication systems, and creation of new data tools, 
techniques, and processes to advance plastics engi-
neering and post-consumer plastic recycling and 
manufacturing; 
(2) develop innovations for effective and effi-
cient measures for processing plastics, including 
films and textiles, collected for recycling, while con-
sidering existing waste streams and future new ma-
terials; 
(3) provide the metrology basis for standards 
development for plastic sorting infrastructure, proc-
essing technologies, classification systems, including 
for biobased plastics, and recycling by design; 
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(4) develop a clearinghouse to collect and sup-
port dissemination of tools, guidelines and standards 
developed under this section; 
(5) consult with appropriate stakeholder groups 
to promote adoption and implementation of such 
guidelines and standards, including diverse manufac-
turing and industry groups, such as packaging, in-
cluding food packaging, agriculture, transportation, 
textile and fashion; 
(6) support plastics recycling research collabo-
ration and coordinate standards development, as ap-
propriate, with other agencies, State and local gov-
ernments, nonprofit organizations, academia, private 
sector, and international partners; and 
(7) establish a program for measurements, 
methods and standards to assess the environmental 
impacts of plastics waste, including marine debris, 
and plastic particles and fibers. 
SEC. 7. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. 
As part of the Program, the National Science Foun-
dation shall— 
(1) support multidisciplinary basic research on 
advanced plastics that are designed for recyclability 
or biodegradation, on plastic waste remediation, on 
improving recycling technologies for different plas-
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tics, and on composting and compostable plastics, 
and on plastic waste valorization; 
(2) support multidisciplinary research on the 
environmental and biological effects of plastic waste, 
and particularly the formation, transport and bio-
accumulation of nano- and micro-plastics relevant to 
plastics recycling and plastic waste remediation; 
(3) support research on social, behavioral, and 
economic barriers to the plastic recycling system and 
development, adoption, and expansion of plastic re-
cycling; 
(4) support, as appropriate, development of 
interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate cur-
riculum and instructional materials relevant to plas-
tics recycling and plastic waste remediation; 
(5) support research experiences for under-
graduate students relevant to plastics recycling and 
plastic waste remediation; and 
(6) support plastics recycling research collabo-
rations, as appropriate, with other agencies, State 
and local governments, nonprofit organizations, aca-
demia, private sector, and international partners. 
SEC. 8. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. 
As part of the Program, the Secretary of Energy 
shall— 
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(1) support integrated research, development, 
and demonstration of— 
(A) chemical and bio-inspired plastic recy-
cling, including research on the potential envi-
ronmental impact of chemical recycling tech-
nologies; 
(B) advanced plastic synthesis; 
(C) plastic waste remediation; 
(D) recyclability-by-design; 
(E) systems-level strategies for improved 
plastics separation and recovery; and 
(F) upcycling of recycled plastics into new 
high-value plastics, including for food-grade 
packaging and advanced manufacturing applica-
tions; 
(2) coordinate research efforts funded through 
existing programs across the Department of Energy, 
including the National Laboratories and relevant 
Manufacturing USA Institutes under section 34 of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act (15 U.S.C. 278s); and 
(3) support plastics recycling research collabo-
rations, as appropriate, with other agencies, State 
and local governments, nonprofit organizations, aca-
demia, private sector, and international partners. 
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SEC. 9. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. 
As part of the Program, the Administrator of the En-
vironmental Protection Agency shall— 
(1) conduct and support research, development, 
and demonstration of innovative plastic waste man-
agement solutions, including reduction, reuse, recy-
cling, recovery, composting infrastructure for bio- 
based plastics, composting infrastructure for separa-
tion and removal of contamination from plastic 
waste, and prevention of plastics, including micro-
plastics, nanoplastics, and pyroplastics, from enter-
ing the air, soil, oceans, and waterways; 
(2) support and conduct research and analysis 
on the public health impacts of airborne and water-
borne microplastics, nanoplastics, and pyroplastics, 
including research on routes of exposure, estimates 
of exposure in different populations, and toxicity as-
sessments on animal and aquatic health, including 
the food chain; and 
(3) support plastics recycling research collabo-
rations, as appropriate, with other agencies, State 
and local governments, nonprofit organizations, aca-
demia, private sector, and international partners. 
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SEC. 10. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINIS-
TRATION. 
As part of the Program, the Administrator of the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall— 
(1) conduct and support research, data collec-
tion, and analysis of plastic marine debris and ocean 
plastic pollution generation and sources, including 
microplastics, nanoplastics, and pyroplastics; 
(2) support research and analysis on the health 
impacts of oceanic microplastics on marine animal 
health, including the food chain; and 
(3) support ocean plastic research collabora-
tions, as appropriate, with other agencies, State and 
local governments, nonprofit organizations, aca-
demia, private sector, and international partners. 
SEC. 11. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT. 
Not later than 2 years after the strategic plan re-
quired by section 5(d)(3) is first issued, the Comptroller 
General shall submit a report to Congress that assesses 
the implementation of the strategic plan by the Committee 
and participating agencies. 
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
activities under this Act— 
(1) to the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology— 
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(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; 
(B) $10,650,000 for fiscal year 2023; 
(C) $11,342,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(D) $12,079,000 for fiscal year 2025; and 
(E) $12,865,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(2) to the National Science Foundation— 
(A) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; 
(B) $31,950,000 for fiscal year 2023; 
(C) $34,027,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(D) $36,328,000 for fiscal year 2025; and 
(E) $38,594,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(3) to the Department of Energy— 
(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; 
(B) $26,625,000 for fiscal year 2023; 
(C) $28,356,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(D) $30,199,000 for fiscal year 2025; and 
(E) $32,162,000 for fiscal year 2026; 
(4) to the Environmental Protection Agency— 
(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; 
(B) $10,650,000 for fiscal year 2023; 
(C) $11,342,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(D) $12,079,000 for fiscal year 2025; and 
(E) $12,865,000 for fiscal year 2026; and 
(5) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration— 
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(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; 
(B) $10,650,000 for fiscal year 2023; 
(C) $11,342,000 for fiscal year 2024; 
(D) $12,079,000 for fiscal year 2025; and 
(E) $12,865,000 for fiscal year 2026. 
Æ 
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