The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the 2021 National Recycling Strategy, an effort to address recycling barriers and create a more efficient system.
The strategy, outlined in a Nov. 23 EPA press release, will focus on reducing the climate impact of materials, increasing access to services for overburdened communities and creating a ‘circular economy’ where materials such as plastics and electronics are managed sustainably during their lifecycle.
“Our nation’s recycling system is in need of critical improvements to better serve the American people,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in the release. “EPA’s National Recycling Strategy provides a roadmap to address system challenges and pave the way for the future of recycling.”
The EPA emphasized that the goal is to create a stronger and more resilient municipal solid waste recycling system that is also cost-effective.
“As we move forward with this strategy, EPA is committed to ensuring that historically underserved and overburdened communities share in the benefits that our work will deliver,” Regan said in the release. “Together with the historic investments in recycling from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the strategy will help transform recycling and solid waste management across the country while creating jobs and strengthening our economy.”
This Strategy is the first time in EPA’s recycling efforts that will address climate impacts of producing, using and disposing of materials, according to a report by MIL, a New Zealand-based information company.
“The climate, environmental and economic benefits of waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting are clear,” EPA Pacific Southwest Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan said in the release. “We look forward to sharing CNMI’s Zero Waste actions to support the implementation of EPA’s National Recycling Strategy.”
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is already overhauling its waste infrastructure in tandem with its recovery from Typhoon Yutu which caused signicant destruction on the islands in 2018, the release said.
“Recycling is critical to sustainable development in the CNMI given its limited landfill capacity and other resources,” Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) Administrator Eli Cabrera said in the release. “BECQ has recently revised its Solid Waste Management Program regulations to streamline permitting for recycling facilities including drop-off centers; automotive, scrap metals, and white goods salvage facilities; construction and demolition waste landfills; and bioconversion facilities including composting. It has also hired staff to build capacity to make sure these changes are implemented appropriately and has scheduled a number of trainings for the upcoming year.”
As an example, using the circular economy approach, green waste from the typhoon was converted into mulch that was provided for free to residents, the release said.
"These changes should have a significant impact on the amount of waste that is landfilled in the CNMI and help the CNMI achieve its zero waste goals,” Cabrera said in the release. “BECQ is excited to help implement EPA’s 2021 Strategy to address the challenges of recycling to achieve environmental and health benefits for its people and to protect its coastal resources.”
