I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2078
To amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require comprehensive plans
and cooperative programs for the recycling of plastics, automobiles, and
appliances.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 11, 1993
Mr. TORRICELLI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require com-
prehensive plans and cooperative programs for the recy-
cling of plastics, automobiles, and appliances.
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 Research
and Development Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. COOPERATIVE RECYCLING PROGRAMS.
(a) PLASTICS, AUTOMOBILE, AND APPLIANCE RECY-
CLING.—Subtitle D of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6941 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new sections:
‘‘SEC. 4011. PLASTICS RECYCLING.
‘‘(a) 
COMPREHENSIVE
PLASTICS
RECYCLING
PLAN.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL PLAN.—Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of the Recycling Re-
search and Development Act of 1993, the Secretary
of Energy, acting through the Office of Conservation
and Renewable Energy and after consultation with
the persons and industries specified in subsection
(b)(1), shall prepare and transmit to the Congress a
comprehensive plastics recycling plan that includes—
‘‘(A) research priorities critical to im-
proved plastics recycling;
‘‘(B) identification of ongoing research in
industry, academia, and the Federal Govern-
ment, including research efforts carried out at
the National Laboratories;
‘‘(C) strategies for the cooperative program
established under subsection (b), including tech-
nical milestones to be achieved toward specific
goals during each fiscal year, for all major Fed-
eral activities and projects under the program;
‘‘(B) to develop improved methods for col-
lecting, sorting, and reclaiming plastics, includ-
ing—
‘‘(i) fast, automated identification sys-
tems to identify plastic parts for accurate
separation;
‘‘(ii) 
chemical, 
mechanical, 
or
rheological technologies to improve the
compatibility of plastics; and
‘‘(iii) chemical or mechanical tech-
nologies to improve the quality of plastic
materials recovery and recycling;
‘‘(C) to develop new commercial applica-
tions for recycled plastic products and materials
and ways to expand commercial markets for re-
cycled plastic products and materials; and
‘‘(D) to develop plastics recycling methods
and systems that conserve energy inherent in
recycled plastic products and materials.
‘‘(2) REQUESTS
FOR
PROPOSALS.—The Sec-
retary of Energy shall, not later than 240 days after
the date of the enactment of the Act, solicit propos-
als to conduct the projects described in paragraph
(1) and may, after such solicitation, enter into
agreements to conduct such projects. As part of a
to support the projects and other efforts conducted under
this section.
‘‘(e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall
consult with the Administrator, the Director of the Na-
tional Institute for Standards and Technology, and the Di-
rector of the National Science Foundation in carrying out
this section.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 1994 through 1999.
‘‘SEC. 4012. AUTOMOBILE RECYCLING.
‘‘(a) COMPREHENSIVE
AUTOMOBILE
RECYCLING
PLAN.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL PLAN.—Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of the Recycling Re-
search and Development Act of 1993, the Secretary
of Energy, acting through the Office of Conservation
and Renewable Energy, shall prepare and transmit
to the Congress a comprehensive automobile recy-
cling plan that includes—
‘‘(A) research priorities critical to im-
proved automobile recycling;
‘‘(B) identification of ongoing research in
industry, academia, and the Federal Govern-
ment, including research efforts carried out at
the National Laboratories;
‘‘(C) strategies for the cooperative program
established under subsection (b), including tech-
nical milestones to be achieved toward specific
goals during each fiscal year, for all major Fed-
eral activities and projects under the program;
‘‘(D) coordination by the Secretary of En-
ergy of ongoing research projects under the
program established under subsection (b), in-
cluding associated or related activities such as
materials research.
‘‘(2) UPDATED PLANS.—The Secretary of En-
ergy shall update and submit to the Congress the
plan prepared under paragraph (1) whenever the
Secretary proposes significant changes to the plan.
‘‘(b) COOPERATIVE PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of En-
ergy shall establish a cooperative program with the
automobile and automobile parts manufacturing in-
dustry, the automobile dismantling and recycling in-
dustry, the plastics industry, and other appropriate
persons and industries to conduct joint and coopera-
tive automobile recycling technology research and
development projects, including research—
‘‘(A) to determine obstacles to increased
recycling of automobile components and strate-
gies to overcome those obstacles;
‘‘(B) to determine methods for incorporat-
ing recyclability into the planning, design, and
manufacture of new automobiles and the effect
of such methods on the volume and toxicity of
manufacturing waste produced;
‘‘(C) to develop methods for engineering
more easily recyclable plastics for use in auto-
mobiles;
‘‘(D) to develop new technologies for the
recycling of automotive shredder residue;
‘‘(E) to develop environmentally preferable
substitutes for toxic and nonrecyclable materials
used in automobiles; and
‘‘(F) to review automobile and automobile
components and parts recycling efforts and pro-
mote public awareness of these efforts.
‘‘(2) REQUESTS
FOR
PROPOSALS.—The Sec-
retary of Energy shall, not later than 240 days after
the date of the enactment of the Recycling Research
and Development Act of 1993, solicit proposals to
conduct the projects described in paragraph (1) and
may, after such solicitation, enter into agreements to
conduct such projects. As part of a solicitation under
this paragraph, the Secretary of Energy may pro-
pose specific joint and cooperative projects.
‘‘(3) FEDERAL
FUNDING.—The Secretary of
Energy may provide financial assistance for a
project conducted under this subsection in an
amount that does not exceed 50 percent of the total
cost of the project.
‘‘(d) SUPPORT.—The Secretary of Energy shall con-
duct evaluations and arrange for tests and demonstrations
to support the projects and other efforts conducted under
this subsection.
‘‘(e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall
consult with the Administrator, the Director of the Na-
tional Institute for Standards and Technology, and the Di-
rector of the National Science Foundation in carrying out
this section.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 1994 through 1999.
‘‘SEC. 4013. APPLIANCE RECYCLING.
‘‘(a) 
COMPREHENSIVE
APPLIANCE
RECYCLING
PLAN.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL PLAN.—Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of the Recycling Re-
search and Development Act of 1993, the Secretary
of Energy, acting through the Office of Conservation
and Renewable Energy, shall prepare and transmit
to the Congress a comprehensive appliance recycling
plan that includes—
‘‘(A) research priorities critical to im-
proved appliance recycling;
‘‘(B) identification of ongoing research in
industry, academia, and the Federal Govern-
ment, including research efforts carried out at
the National Laboratories;
‘‘(C) strategies for the cooperative program
established under subsection (b), including tech-
nical milestones to be achieved toward specific
goals during each fiscal year, for all major Fed-
eral activities and projects under the program;
and
‘‘(D) coordination by the Secretary of En-
ergy of ongoing research projects under the
program established under subsection (b), in-
cluding associated or related activities such as
materials research.
‘‘(2) UPDATED PLANS.—The Secretary of En-
ergy shall update and submit to the Congress the
plan prepared under paragraph (1) whenever the
Secretary proposed significant changes to the plan.
‘‘(b) COOPERATIVE PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of En-
ergy shall establish a cooperative program with the
appliance manufacturing industry, the appliance dis-
mantling and recycling industry, the steel industry,
the plastics industry, and other appropriate persons
and industries to conduct joint and cooperative ap-
pliance recycling technology research and develop-
ment projects, including research—
‘‘(A) to determine obstacles to increased
recycling of appliances and strategies to over-
come those obstacles;
‘‘(B) to determine methods for incorporat-
ing recyclability into the planning, design, and
manufacture of new appliances and the effect of
such methods on the volume and toxicity of
manufacturing waste produced;
‘‘(C) to develop methods for engineering
more easily recyclable plastics for use in appli-
ances;
‘‘(D) to develop new technologies for the
recycling of appliance shredder residue;
‘‘(E) to develop environmentally preferable
substitutes for toxic and nonrecyclable materials
used in appliances; and
‘‘(F) to review appliance recycling efforts
and promote public awareness of these efforts.
‘‘(2) REQUESTS
FOR
PROPOSALS.—The Sec-
retary of Energy shall, not later than 240 days after
the date of the enactment of the Recycling Research
and Development Act of 1993, solicit proposals to
conduct the projects described in paragraph (1) and
may, after such solicitation, enter into agreements to
conduct such projects. As part of a solicitation under
this paragraph, the Secretary of Energy may pro-
pose specific joint and cooperative projects.
‘‘(3) FEDERAL
FUNDING.—The Secretary of
Energy may provide financial assistance for a
project conducted under this subsection in an
amount that does not exceed 50 percent of the total
cost of the project.
‘‘(d) SUPPORT.—The Secretary of Energy shall con-
duct evaluations and arrange for tests and demonstrations
to support the projects and other efforts conducted under
this section.
‘‘(e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall
consult with the Administrator, the Director of the Na-
tional Institute for Standards and Technology, and the Di-
rector of the National Science Foundation in carrying out
this section.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of En-
ergy to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 1994 through 1999.’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS AMENDMENT.—The table
of contents for subtitle D of such Act (contained in section
1001) is amended by adding at the end the following new
items:
‘‘Sec. 4011. Plastics recycling.
‘‘Sec. 4012. Automobile recycling.
‘‘Sec. 4013. Appliance recycling.’’.
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