I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1153
To improve the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information that
will promote the recycling of municipal solid waste.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 7, 1995
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. ZIMMER, Mr.
WOLF, and Mr. BEILENSON) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To improve the collection, analysis, and dissemination of
information that will promote the recycling of municipal
solid waste.
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 Information
Clearinghouse Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND OBJECTIVES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Section 1002(c) of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901(c)) is amended by striking
out ‘‘and’’ in paragraph (2), by striking out the period
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in paragraph (3) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding
at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(4) Recycling should be promoted through a
national clearinghouse to provide information about
the economic feasibility of recycling various mate-
rials, State and local initiatives that have succeeded
in increasing the recycling rate for municipal waste,
and Federal, State, and local procurement opportu-
nities for recyclable materials.’’.
(b) OBJECTIVES AND POLICY.—Section 1003(a) of
the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6902(a)) is
amended by striking out the period in paragraph (11) and
inserting ‘‘; and’’, by striking out ‘‘and’’ in paragraph (1),
and by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(12) establishing an information clearinghouse
to promote the recycling of municipal solid waste.’’.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1004 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6903) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(42) The term ‘municipal solid waste’ means
residential, institutional, and commercial solid waste
generated within a community. The term does not
include any garbage, refuse, sludge, or other residue
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that is a byproduct of an industrial process or any
solid waste which is regulated under subtitle C.
‘‘(43) The term ‘recycled material’ means a ma-
terial which has been previously used which can be
reused with or without reprocessing in place of a vir-
gin material.
‘‘(44) The term ‘recycled product’ means a
product that is derived substantially from recycled
materials.
‘‘(45) The term ‘recycling’ means remanufac-
turing or reprocessing used or discarded materials
into a useful product.’’.
SEC. 4. INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subtitle D of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6941 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 4011. INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-
tablish a clearinghouse for information about the recycling
of municipal solid waste, to be administered by the Office
of Solid Waste in accordance with the provisions of this
section.
‘‘(b) INFORMATION COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS.—
The clearinghouse shall collect and provide the following
types of information:
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‘‘(1) A data base containing information on the
annual volume and rate of recycling of materials
from the municipal solid waste stream. Such data
base should include information that may be avail-
able from trade associations, nonprofit organiza-
tions, Federal agencies, and State governments. At
a minimum, the data base should estimate the ag-
gregate annual tonnage and recycling rate for glass,
metal, paper, plastic, and corrugated containers. To
the extent feasible, the data base should include an
analysis of the impact of geographic and demo-
graphic factors on the recycling rate.
‘‘(2) An annual estimate of the balance of trade
in recycled materials and products.
‘‘(3) Economic data comparing the costs and
benefits of recycling various materials from the mu-
nicipal solid waste stream. The analysis should take
into account the avoided disposal costs resulting
from recycling.
‘‘(4) A catalog of State and local laws that en-
courage or require the recycling of materials from
the municipal solid waste stream. The catalog should
include information about any recycling targets or
objectives established by such legislation and, where
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feasible, evaluate whether those objectives are being
met.
‘‘(5) A list of all purchases of recycled materials
or products by the Federal Government, organized
by agency and the type of recycled materials or
products purchased.
‘‘(6) A register announcing all solicitations by
Federal agencies for the purchase of recycled mate-
rials or products. Such information shall be orga-
nized to provide timely and relevant information to
persons seeking to sell recycled materials or products
to the Federal Government. To the extent feasible,
the register should include information about pro-
curement opportunities available from State or local
governments.
‘‘(7) Information about state-of-the-art recy-
cling methods, programs, and technologies, including
the results of any recycling research or demonstra-
tion programs funded by the Federal Government.
‘‘(8) A register of all potential purchasers (both
government and private) of recycled materials.
‘‘(c) INFORMATION COORDINATION.—The Adminis-
trator may, at his or her discretion, make available
through the information clearinghouse any other informa-
tion that would promote national, State, and local recy-
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cling efforts including, but not limited to, information that
may be obtained under subtitle D and subtitle E.
‘‘(d) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.—The informa-
tion compiled and analyzed under this section shall be
made available to the public. A toll-free, telephone hotline
shall be established and made available to members of the
public seeking information from the clearinghouse. To the
extent feasible, the information compiled should be com-
puterized to facilitate analysis and provide for prompt
retrieval of information.
‘‘(e) INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION.—In carrying out
this section the Administrator shall cooperate with any
independent organization which is comprised of persons
engaged in recycling and persons representing environ-
mental organizations and which provides matching funds
to cover the costs of any cooperative program undertaken
by the organization and the Environmental Protection
Agency.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Administrator $500,000 for each fiscal
year occurring after enactment of the Recycling Informa-
tion Clearinghouse Act of 1995 for functions carried out
by the information clearinghouse.’’.
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 4003(c) of
such subtitle D is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(3) A State shall not be eligible for assistance under
section 4008(a)(3) after December 31, 1996, unless the
State maintains and publicizes a State register of potential
purchasers (both governmental and private) of recycled
materials known to the State solid waste planning authori-
ties. Such register shall be periodically updated and sub-
mitted to the information clearinghouse established under
section 4011.’’.
(c) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
such subtitle D is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new item:
‘‘Sec. 4011. Information clearinghouse.’’.
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