ISRI details critically essential role of recycling in letter to President-Elect Biden

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) highlighted the essential role of recycling in the U.S. manufacturing sector, environment and economy, in a letter addressed to President-Elect Joe Biden.

In its letter, ISRI congratulates President-Elect Biden on behalf of the industry, and express support for Biden's vision of an environmentally and economically sustainable U.S. manufacturing industry, which begins with recycling.

Selections from ISRI's letter follow (full letter available here)

... We share your vision that manufacturing can be both environmentally and economically sustainable - and that vision begins with recycling.

Recycling operations are an essential element of the U.S. - and global - circular economy, supplying an average of well over 40% of raw material needs for manufacturing and generating over $110 billion in U.S. economic activity.  The industry also contributes to global environmental stewardship by supplying about $20 billion worth of recyclables to manufacturers in more than 150 nations around the world. ... Recycling is also essential towards meeting our nation's sustainability goals and fighting climate change.

Recycling helps fight climate change by providing alternative materials used by manufacturers as a replacement for "virgin" material, thereby lowering energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Recycled metals, paper, plastics, and other recyclable commodities feed U.S. manufacturing operations that produce the rebar, wiring, tubing, packaging, and other key materials that are needed for everything from construction of roads and bridges to new hospitals. ...

More recycling provides more climate benefit. ... Therefore, we seek to ensure that this supply chain continue and thereby avoid significant supply disruptions that would ripple throughout the entire U.S. and global manufacturing sectors. 

We enjoy close partnerships with policymakers in both parties that have demonstrated focused commitments to advancing recycling in the United States.  We work closely with EPA to bring diverse stakeholders together for collaboration on initiatives to enhance citizen participation and expand markets for recycled materials. ... We are particularly proud to have worked closely with Senator Tom Carper more than 15 years ago to establish the Senate Recycling Caucus, which followed quickly with the creation of the House Recycling Caucus. ...

As our nation's environmental steward, the U.S. scrap recycling industry welcomes the opportunity to work with your Administration to continue creating good-paying American jobs ...