I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2357 
To establish the Recycling Infrastructure Program within the Environmental 
Protection Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 5, 2021 
Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself and Mr. BUCSHON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish the Recycling Infrastructure Program within 
the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Realizing the Economic Opportunities and Value of Ex-
panding Recycling Act’’ or the ‘‘RECOVER Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. Recycling Infrastructure Program. 
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Sec. 4. Reports. 
Sec. 5. Funding. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) 
CURBSIDE
RECYCLABLES.—The 
term 
‘‘curbside recyclables’’ means those recyclable mate-
rials that a municipality or recycling service provider 
collects separately from municipal solid waste. 
(3) 
CURBSIDE
RECYCLING.—The 
term 
‘‘curbside recycling’’ means the process by which 
residential recyclable materials are picked up 
curbside. 
(4) DROP-OFF FACILITY.—The term ‘‘drop-off 
facility’’ means a site to drop off recyclable mate-
rials. 
(5) MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY.—The term 
‘‘material 
recovery 
facility’’ 
means 
a 
facility 
equipped for the sorting of recyclable materials. 
(6) RECYCLABLE MATERIAL.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘recyclable 
material’’ means a material that can be col-
lected, separated, processed, or otherwise de-
rived from a waste stream for recycling. 
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(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘recyclable 
material’’ includes— 
(i) ferrous metal; 
(ii) nonferrous metal, such as alu-
minum; 
(iii) plastic; 
(iv) glass; 
(v) paper; 
(vi) fiber; 
(vii) paperboard; 
(viii) household electronics; 
(ix) tires; 
(x) rubber; 
(xi) consumer packaging; and 
(xii) consumer durables, such as auto-
mobiles and refrigerators. 
(7) RECYCLING.—The term ‘‘recycling’’ means 
the process of collecting, sorting, and processing re-
cyclable materials for reuse, use as a feedstock, or 
use in manufacturing or assembling a product, but 
does not include use of recyclable materials for elec-
tricity or steam generation. 
(8) RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.— 
The term ‘‘Recycling Infrastructure Program’’ 
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means the program that may be established pursu-
ant to section 3(a). 
(9) RECYCLING OPERATION.—The term ‘‘recy-
cling operation’’ means an operation that processes 
recyclable materials from residential, industrial, or 
commercial operations through various manufac-
turing stages, including separating, shredding, 
grinding, crushing, media separation, shearing, or 
baling. 
(10) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means a State, 
the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of 
the United States. 
SEC. 3. RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator may es-
tablish a program, to be known as the Recycling Infra-
structure Program, to award financial assistance to 
States, local governments, and tribal governments, on a 
competitive basis, to support and expand the recycling in-
frastructure and recycling programs in such States, local 
governments, and tribal governments. 
(b) ELIGIBLE USE OF FUNDS.—A State, local gov-
ernment, or tribal government may use financial assist-
ance received under the Recycling Infrastructure Program 
for projects and programs— 
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(1) to— 
(A) expand recycling infrastructure by ex-
panding or supporting recycling-related tech-
nology or infrastructure that— 
(i) increases recycling or collection 
rates; 
(ii) expands curbside recycling collec-
tion programs where appropriate; 
(iii) expands other collection points 
and landfill avoidance programs; 
(iv) improves the quality of recyclable 
material that is separated from solid 
waste; 
(v) improves sorting and separation of 
recyclable materials; 
(vi) delivers increased high-quality 
feedstocks for use in manufacturing; or 
(vii) encourages the use of recyclable 
materials in new products; 
(B) transition curbside recycling programs 
to more efficient collection practices where nec-
essary; 
(C) enhance the performance of curbside 
recycling and other recycling programs; 
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(D) promote public space recycling pro-
grams; 
(E) develop rural recycling systems; or 
(F) develop and implement variable rate 
(commonly referred to as ‘‘pay-as-you-throw’’) 
funding programs in which the pricing struc-
ture for which the fee for solid waste collection 
increases as the amount of solid waste in-
creases; or 
(2) relating to— 
(A) consumer education, that— 
(i) identify how to recycle and what is 
recyclable; or 
(ii)(I) highlights the importance of re-
cycling; 
(II) promotes strategies to im-
prove recyclable material quality; and 
(III) is designed to increase recy-
cling participation and the amount of 
materials collected; 
(B) marketing opportunities for recyclable 
materials in the United States; or 
(C) education and training for recycling 
operators. 
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(c) STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELIGIBILITY.— 
In order to be eligible to receive financial assistance under 
the Recycling Infrastructure Program— 
(1) for a project or program described in para-
graph (1) or (2) of subsection (b), a State, local gov-
ernment, or tribal government shall— 
(A) submit to the Administrator an appli-
cation at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Administrator 
may require; 
(B) be in compliance with subtitle D of the 
Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6941 et 
seq.); and 
(C) have, or will have, a method of track-
ing and demonstrating progress on State-wide, 
local government-wide, or tribal government- 
wide recycling rates, and agree to demonstrate 
such progress to the Administrator, in a man-
ner the Administrator determines appropriate, 
not later than two years after receipt of such fi-
nancial assistance; and 
(2) for a project or program described in para-
graph (1) of subsection (b)— 
(A) a State, local government, or tribal 
government shall— 
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(i) have or will have— 
(I) legal, financial, and technical 
capacity to carry out the project or 
program, including the safety and se-
curity aspects of the project or pro-
gram; 
(II) satisfactory continuing con-
trol over the use of the equipment or 
facilities used during the project or 
program, with a defined plan for its 
use after program assistance has 
ended; 
(III) the technical and financial 
capacity to maintain new and existing 
equipment and facilities used for the 
project or program; and 
(IV) advisors providing guidance 
on the terms and structure of the 
project or program that are inde-
pendent from investors in the project 
or program; 
(ii) demonstrate that the project or 
program shall encourage, to the maximum 
extent feasible, as determined by local poli-
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cies, criteria, and decision making, the par-
ticipation of private enterprise; and 
(iii) demonstrate that the project or 
program is supported by an acceptable de-
gree of local financial commitment (includ-
ing evidence of stable and dependable fi-
nancing sources); and 
(B) a local government or tribal govern-
ment shall— 
(i) provide for the collection of at 
least 5 types of recyclable materials; and 
(ii) own, operate, or contract to han-
dle, operate, or sell to— 
(I) a curbside recyclables collec-
tion program; 
(II) a redemption center, drop-off 
facility, 
or 
transfer 
station 
for 
recyclables; or 
(III) a material recovery facility. 
(d) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
(1) PRIORITY.—In awarding financial assist-
ance to States, local governments, and tribal govern-
ments under the Recycling Infrastructure Program, 
the Administrator shall give priority to States, local 
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governments, and tribal governments that propose to 
use the assistance to— 
(A) expand recycling access and collection 
of recyclable materials to underserved areas; 
(B) modernize existing technology; 
(C) use innovative technology; 
(D) enhance curbside recycling and other 
collection; or 
(E) reduce contamination of recyclable ma-
terials. 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—Nothing in this sub-
section supersedes the applicability of other require-
ments of Federal law (including regulations). 
(e) FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) AMOUNT.—The amount of the Federal fi-
nancial assistance used for a project or program de-
scribed in subsection (b) shall not exceed 50 percent 
of the total cost of the project or program. 
(2) SUPPLANT.—Federal financial assistance 
under this Act shall not be used to supplant or 
repay other financial assistance. 
(f) STATE, TRIBAL, AND LOCAL PERMITS.—The pro-
vision of financial assistance with respect to a project or 
program described in subsection (b) shall not— 
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(1) alter any obligation to obtain any required 
State, local, or tribal permit or approval with respect 
to the project or program; or 
(2) otherwise supersede any State, local, or 
tribal law (including any regulation) applicable to 
the construction or operation of the project or pro-
gram. 
SEC. 4. REPORTS. 
(a) STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND TRIBAL GOV-
ERNMENT REPORTS.—Each State, local government, or 
tribal government receiving financial assistance during a 
fiscal year under the Recycling Infrastructure Program 
shall submit to the Administrator, not later than 12 
months after receiving such assistance, a report for such 
fiscal year, in accordance with such requirements as the 
Administrator may prescribe. 
(b) EPA REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub-
mit to Congress a report on measures taken towards im-
plementing this Act that includes a list of States, local 
governments, and tribal governments receiving financial 
assistance under the Recycling Infrastructure Program. 
SEC. 5. FUNDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act— 
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(1) $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, to re-
main available until expended; 
(2) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, to re-
main available until expended; 
(3) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, to re-
main available until expended; 
(4) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, to remain 
available until expended; and 
(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2025, to remain 
available until expended. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Administrator may use 
for the administration of this Act such funds as the Ad-
ministrator determines necessary for each of fiscal years 
2021 through 2025. 
Æ 
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