Let’s break free from plastics and recycle right. Senator Udall and Congressman Lowenthal announce monumental legislation to fix our waste in oceans crisis and make it possible for people to recycle right.

Many of us are not only frustrated by the unnecessary confusion about recycling, but we’re distraught to learn that our recyclables are often going to the landfill or incinerator, despite paying for recycling services. Across the country, municipalities are losing hundreds of thousands, or in some cases millions, of dollars on failing recycling programs. 

Did you know, 94% of American voters support recycling, and 74% believe it should be a national priority (PIRG 2019). Also, voters are extremely concerned about the 48,000,000 pounds of waste going into oceans each day. Recent reports state that the amount has increased by 27% since the onset of the global recycling collapse (Reuters Oct 2019). I am one of those voters.

Senator Udall and Congressman Lowenthal have co-authored the “Break Free from Plastics” bill, which includes the society-wide standardized label solution for recycling bins to help everyone be able to recycle properly. Let’s follow the example of earlier leaders who voted to standardize road signs, nutritional labels, etc. – simple solutions that eliminate public confusion and allow all of us to act on our good intentions.    

Here’s the problem:

The economics and demand for recyclable materials suffer due to the millions of tons of garbage being thrown in recycling bins. It is solely because of that contamination that China and other countries banned the purchase of U.S. recyclables. This costly contamination stems directly from the hundreds of thousands of inconsistent labels displayed on recycling bins throughout the U.S., which cause public confusion, apathy, and skepticism about recycling. You can read more about the recycling crisis here: https://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/the-recycling-crisis.

Here’s the proven solution: 

To fix this, the nonprofit organization Recycle Across America, created the first and only society-wide standardized labels for recycling bins in 2010 to help people be able to recycle properly wherever they are. There are now more than nine million standardized labels displayed on recycling bins throughout the country, including on bins in thousands of federal, state, and municipal locations, businesses, schools, airports, sports stadiums, industrial facilities, and households. The standardized labels for recycling bins consistently prove to increase recycling levels 50-400% and reduce contamination significantly; in many cases, entirely. The more the labels are seen on bins throughout society, the more the efficacy and economics of recycling will thrive for municipalities, taxpayers, recycling markets and processors, and manufacturers who need these materials to reuse.

Here’s how you can help us fix it:

1. Please click on this link to ask your elected officials to help support legislation to standardize recycling labels on recycling bins nation-wide: https://www.recycleacrossamerica.org/lets-fix-it-campaign. 
2. Watch this short video and share this campaign with your friends and family to help us gain more support for this critical bill! There is a waste and recycling crisis. Together we can and will FIX IT!