Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research Act
Bill: H.R.2821 | Sponsor: Rep. Stevens, Haley M. (D-MI)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research Act
This bill establishes the Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Research Program to improve the global competitiveness of the U.S. plastics recycling industry and to mitigate any harmful effects of plastic waste on the environment. The bill also provides for an interagency committee to coordinate agency activity in support of the program.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Plastic Waste Reduction and 
Recycling Research Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (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, technology 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 
        contaminated United States plastics.
            (4) Following the 2018 China ban, more and more United 
        States communities are sending recyclable 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.
            (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 updated standards.
            (8) Separating and processing the many different 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 important 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:
            (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 debris'' has the 
        meaning provided in the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1956).

SEC. 4. PLASTIC WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment; Purposes.--The Director, acting through the 
Committee and each of the participating agencies, shall establish and 
implement a program to be known as the ``Plastic Waste Reduction and 
Recycling Research Program''. The purposes of the Program shall be to--
            (1) improve the global competitiveness of the United States 
        plastics recycling industry;
            (2) ensure United States leadership in plastic waste 
        reduction, reuse, and recycling research and innovation;
            (3) support United States leadership in the development of 
        national and international standards for sustainable plastics 
        design and plastic recycling infrastructure, technologies and 
        processes; and
            (4) mitigate any harmful effects of plastic waste and 
        plastic waste recycling on the environment.
    (b) Program Activities.--In carrying out the Program, the Director, 
acting through the Committee and each of the participating agencies, 
shall carry out activities that include the following:
            (1) Supporting research, development, and demonstration of 
        plastics technologies optimized for recyclability, plastics 
        recycling technologies, plastic reusability, bio-based 
        plastics, biodegradable plastics, remediation, including 
        bioremediation of plastic waste, recyclability and remediation 
        of plastic-based textiles, and environmental impacts of plastic 
        waste.
            (2) Supporting and facilitating public-private partnerships 
        to leverage knowledge and resources to accelerate research, 
        development, and demonstration in plastic waste reduction, 
        including plastics recycling, plastics reusability, plastic 
        waste remediation and other areas consistent with the purposes 
        of this Act.
            (3) Interagency planning and coordination of Federal 
        research and development of plastic waste reduction and 
        recycling technologies and plastic waste remediation.
            (4) Promoting research collaboration with international 
        partners, as appropriate.

SEC. 5. COORDINATION BY INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Interagency Committee.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director, acting through the National 
Science and Technology Council, shall establish or designate an 
Interagency Committee to coordinate Federal programs and activities in 
support of plastic waste reduction and recycling and plastic waste 
remediation research and development under the Program.
    (b) Co-Chairs.--The Committee shall be co-chaired by the Director 
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy or designee and a 
representative from an agency participating in the Committee, as 
selected by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy.
    (c) Agency Participation.--The Committee shall include 
representatives from--
            (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 Administration;
            (7) the Department of Agriculture; and
            (8) any other Federal agency as considered appropriate by 
        the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    (d) Responsibilities.--The Committee shall--
            (1) provide for interagency coordination of Federal 
        plastics reduction and recycling and plastic waste remediation 
        research, development, and demonstration, standards 
        development, and education and training activities and programs 
        of Federal departments 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;
                    (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 remediation 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 reduction and 
                        recycling and plastic waste remediation for 
                        Federal research investments;
                            (ii) the Program's support for long-term 
                        funding for interdisciplinary plastic waste 
                        reduction and recycling research, development, 
                        demonstration, standards development, 
                        education, and public outreach activities;
                            (iii) how Federal agencies participating 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 laboratory and 
                        into commercial or municipal application; and
                    (C) with respect to the previous 3 years, provides 
                a summary of--
                            (i) federally funded plastic waste 
                        reduction and recycling and plastic waste 
                        remediation research, development, and 
                        demonstration;
                            (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 manufacturers and organizations in 
        the development of the goals, priorities and metrics required 
        under paragraph (3)(A).
    (e) Termination.--The Interagency Committee shall terminate 10 
years after the date on which the Committee is established under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 6. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY.

    As part of the Program, the Director of National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall--
            (1) establish a science program for characterization of 
        plastic properties before, during, and after recycling and 
        manufacturing, development of classification systems, and 
        creation of new data tools, techniques, and processes to 
        advance plastics engineering and post-consumer plastic 
        recycling and manufacturing;
            (2) develop innovations for effective and efficient 
        measures for processing plastics, including films and textiles, 
        collected for recycling, while considering existing waste 
        streams and future new materials;
            (3) provide the metrology basis for standards development 
        for plastic sorting infrastructure, processing technologies, 
        classification systems, including for biobased plastics, and 
        recycling by design;
            (4) develop a clearinghouse to collect and support 
        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 manufacturing and industry groups, such as 
        packaging, including food packaging, agriculture, 
        transportation, textile and fashion;
            (6) support plastics recycling research collaboration and 
        coordinate standards development, as appropriate, with other 
        agencies, State and local governments, 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 Foundation 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 plastics, 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 bioaccumulation 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 recycling;
            (4) support, as appropriate, development of 
        interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate curriculum and 
        instructional materials relevant to plastics recycling and 
        plastic waste remediation;
            (5) support research experiences for undergraduate students 
        relevant to plastics recycling and plastic waste remediation; 
        and
            (6) support plastics recycling research collaborations, as 
        appropriate, with other agencies, State and local governments, 
        nonprofit organizations, academia, private sector, and 
        international partners.

SEC. 8. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.

    As part of the Program, the Secretary of Energy shall--
            (1) support integrated research, development, and 
        demonstration of--
                    (A) chemical and bio-inspired plastic recycling, 
                including research on the potential environmental 
                impact of chemical recycling technologies;
                    (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 applications;
            (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 collaborations, as 
        appropriate, with other agencies, State and local governments, 
        nonprofit organizations, academia, private sector, and 
        international partners.

SEC. 9. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.

    As part of the Program, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall--
            (1) conduct and support research, development, and 
        demonstration of innovative plastic waste management solutions, 
        including reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, composting 
        infrastructure for bio-based plastics, composting 
        infrastructure for separation and removal of contamination from 
        plastic waste, and prevention of plastics, including 
        microplastics, nanoplastics, and pyroplastics, from entering 
        the air, soil, oceans, and waterways;
            (2) support and conduct research and analysis on the public 
        health impacts of airborne and waterborne microplastics, 
        nanoplastics, and pyroplastics, including research on routes of 
        exposure, estimates of exposure in different populations, and 
        toxicity assessments on animal and aquatic health, including 
        the food chain; and
            (3) support plastics recycling research collaborations, as 
        appropriate, with other agencies, State and local governments, 
        nonprofit organizations, academia, private sector, and 
        international partners.

SEC. 10. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.

    As part of the Program, the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration shall--
            (1) conduct and support research, data collection, 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 collaborations, as 
        appropriate, with other agencies, State and local governments, 
        nonprofit organizations, academia, private sector, and 
        international partners.

SEC. 11. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.

    Not later than 2 years after the strategic plan required 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--
                    (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--
                    (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.
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