Recycling Technology Innovation Act
Congress Proposes Bill to Ease Regulations on Advanced Plastic Recycling Plants
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- Representative Crenshaw introduced a bill to change the rules for plants that break down plastic. Right now, many of these facilities are treated like trash burners. This means they have to follow very strict and expensive air pollution rules that are usually meant for garbage incinerators.
- The bill would give a break to plants that use heat or chemicals to turn old plastic into new raw materials. To qualify, at least half of the material the plant makes must be turned into actual products that can be sold or used to make new items.
- This change is meant to help the recycling industry grow by making it cheaper and easier to build these facilities. Supporters say this technology is a great way to keep plastic waste out of landfills and the ocean.
- The bill clarifies that simply burning plastic to create heat or electricity does not count as recycling. It also says that waste products like soot, dust, and ash cannot be counted as products to meet the 50 percent requirement.
- If a plant does not automatically qualify for these easier rules, the owner can ask the EPA for a special exception. The EPA would have to let the public give their input and then make a final decision within 180 days.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
How this policy affects specific groups of people
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articlesRepublicans propose US House bill on chemical recycling
Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Gary Palmer introduced the Recycling Technology Innovation Act to classify chemical recycling as a manufacturing process. The bill aims to provide regulatory clarity for technologies like pyrolysis and gasification, aligning federal rules with 25 states.
Legislation aims to transform communities through modern plastics recycling
The Recycling Technology Innovation Act supports advanced recycling technologies that break plastic waste into molecular building blocks. Supporters claim the approach could create over 170,000 jobs and strengthen the U.S. supply chain by reducing reliance on landfills.
Chemical Recycling Manufacturing Sought Under Clean Air Act Bill
A new federal push seeks to classify chemical recycling as manufacturing. The measure would allow operators that convert plastic polymers to petition the EPA for exclusion from incineration rules, provided at least 50% of the output is sold as usable products.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Recycling Technology Innovation Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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