[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 927 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 927
Declaring support by the House of Representatives for Design for
Recycling (DFR) initiatives that limit all types of waste by
encouraging manufacturers to design their products to have the maximum
number of recyclable components.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 4, 2025
Mr. Correa (for himself, Mrs. Kim, and Mr. Morelle) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Declaring support by the House of Representatives for Design for
Recycling (DFR) initiatives that limit all types of waste by
encouraging manufacturers to design their products to have the maximum
number of recyclable components.
Whereas Design for Recycling (DFR) is a method of designing products to ensure
they are made from recycled material, are free of hazardous materials
that may impede the recycling process, and can be easily recycled
through current or newly designed recycling processes and procedures
after the end of their life in a cost-effective manner;
Whereas DFR would reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, reducing
greenhouse gases and the consumption of raw materials;
Whereas the recycled materials industry annually contributes nearly
$170,000,000,000 to the United States economy and provides nearly
$20,200,000,000 in net exports, helping to reduce the United States
trade deficit;
Whereas, according to the Recycled Materials Association, the recycled materials
industry annually generates $7,160,000,000 in State and local tax
revenues and provides another $11,550,000,000 in Federal tax revenue
from the industry and its employees;
Whereas, according to the Recycled Materials Association, the recycled materials
industry provides nearly 600,000 jobs in the United States both directly
and indirectly;
Whereas, in 2022, the recycled materials industry recycled over 137,000,000
metric tons of materials;
Whereas, according to calculations from the Waste Reduction Model, Version 16,
of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using recycled materials
in manufacturing reduces energy consumption by up to 90 percent;
Whereas the EPA estimates that about 75 percent of waste is recyclable, but only
35 percent of that is actually recycled, leaving the rest to go to
landfills and incinerators;
Whereas Americans generated more than 267,000,000 tons of solid waste in 2020 or
4.9 pounds per person per day;
Whereas the container and fiberglass industries collectively purchase 3,350,000
tons of recycled glass annually, which is remelted and repurposed for
use in the production of new containers and fiberglass products;
Whereas, according to the nonprofit rePurpose Global, about 75 percent of global
plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and molded over
and over to produce new plastics (or plastic products);
Whereas only about 20 percent of the polyethylene terephthalate, high-density
polyethylene, and polypropylene plastics in circulation in the United
States are recycled;
Whereas the United States generates about 6,900,000 tons of e-waste but only
recycles around 25 percent;
Whereas, according to the EPA, e-waste sometimes has hazardous chemicals such as
lead, mercury, and arsenic that can require special disposal methods;
Whereas recycling e-waste is a sustainable way to recover rare earth materials
like neodymium, dysprosium, and yttrium;
Whereas, according to the American Forest and Paper Association nearly 60
percent more paper products are recycled today than in 1990 due to
innovative packaging and investments focused on improving recycling
technology;
Whereas, according to a study by The Recycling Partnership, additional
investment in recycling will create 200,000 new jobs;
Whereas, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, material journey mapping,
which is a process of understanding the entire lifecycle of a material
from extraction to disposal, can help companies succeed at DFR;
Whereas, in 2021, the company Cascade Engineering manufactured the first
curbside cart, EcoCart, made from bulky rigid plastics collected from
curbside residential recycling, this is an example of DFR;
Whereas the California Redemption Value program incentivizes consumers through
the free market to return their cans and bottles to a recycling center;
Whereas, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, ``the circular economy is
a system where products and materials are kept in circulation through
processes like maintenance, reuse, recycling, and composting.'';
Whereas there are companies that assist manufacturers to embrace a circular
approach through their eco-design and sustainable sourcing models;
Whereas using local resources in manufacturing and understanding locally
available resources can promote circularity (a circular approach);
Whereas product life extension means keeping material and products in the supply
chain for as long as possible so products are more durable, and
companies can find innovative ways to use the product after its normal
life ends;
Whereas dematerialization is a strategy to minimize the use of raw materials and
energy in product creation while maintaining the products quality;
Whereas the collection of recycling data by CalRecycle is critical to helping
manufacturers design packaging for recyclability and is a model for
other programs; and
Whereas DFR would encourage manufacturers of goods to ensure their products are
made of recycled material and fully recyclable: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports measures by the manufacturing community to
adopt ``Design for Recycling'' initiatives that aim to make it
easier for companies to recycle products, reduce waste and
greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the need for raw
materials; and
(2) confirms that the recycled materials industry serves an
essential role in our economy as they manage end-of-life
products, provide vital raw materials to the manufacturing
supply chain, contribute to the economy, and employ over half-
a-million people throughout the United States.
<all>