Land-Based Marine Debris Reduction Act - Declares national goals of: (1) no increase in the generation of solid waste sent to landfills, (2) recycling of at least 50% of the municipal solid waste stream by the end of 2020 and 65% by the end of 2030, and (3) no increase in the flow of marine debris into the ocean.
Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report on: (1) municipal solid waste generation, waste management methods, and progress in meeting the goals; (2) leakage paths of marine debris into the ocean; and (3) landfill closures.
Directs the EPA to develop a list of categories of commonly used products and packaging that are discarded into the municipal solid waste stream and determine with respect to the products or packaging in each category: (1) the percentage of recovered materials used in their manufacture; (2) the source reduction and recovery efficiency; (3) the percentage that is recycled upon discard and the percentage that is littered; and (4) the life cycle environmental effects associated with them, compared to alternatives.
Requires the EPA to identify categories to be targeted for regulatory action. Authorizes regulations requiring manufacturers to use recovered materials in the product or packaging.
Directs the EPA and the Department of Commerce to develop a voluntary system of packaging standards with respect to materials contained within the packaging and the recyclability of the packaging upon discard. Requires the standard to provide that packaging that meets the standards be eligible to use a label indicating compliance for promotional and educational purposes.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5283 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5283
To establish national goals for the reduction and recycling of
municipal solid waste, to address the growing problem of marine debris,
to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
promulgate regulations to attain those goals, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2014
Mr. Honda introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish national goals for the reduction and recycling of
municipal solid waste, to address the growing problem of marine debris,
to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
promulgate regulations to attain those goals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Land-Based Marine Debris Reduction
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds and declares the following:
(1) Because the United States has the largest Exclusive
Economic Zone of all nations, it has a disproportionate
economic interest in a healthy ocean.
(2) The United States has a strategic interest in healthy
fisheries, marine ecosystems, and a strong ocean economy.
(3) Solid waste is littering the Nation's waterways,
including streams, rivers, and lakes, most notably the Great
Lakes, and much of this marine debris is collecting in the
oceans.
(4) An estimated 80 percent of litter that ends up in the
oceans comes from land-based sources, and litter in the
Nation's waterways has numerous detrimental effects.
(5) Marine debris injures wildlife, sometimes resulting in
death, degrades ecosystems, interferes with navigation,
threatens public health and safety, and creates additional
expenditures for shipping, fishing, tourism, and coastal
communities.
(6) Only about 46 percent of the Nation's waste is recycled
or composted, including through waste-to-energy.
(7) Successful solid waste management requires creative use
of the entire hierarchy of solid waste management, waste
reduction, recycling, waste-to-energy operations, and
landfilling.
(8) Recycling can play a significant role in reducing
municipal waste and marine debris.
(9) The failure to recycle and reuse materials is a
significant and unnecessary waste of important national energy
and material resources.
(10) Comprehensive, multi-material recycling programs
represent the most cost-effective and efficient method of
meeting recycling goals and reducing marine debris.
(11) The responsibility to recycle should be shared by all
consumers of recyclable goods including individual households,
municipalities, and commercial and institutional
establishments.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL GOALS FOR WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING.
(a) Source Reduction.--Congress declares it to be the national goal
of the United States that there shall be no increase in the generation
of solid waste sent to landfills above the level of solid waste
generated and sent to landfills in the year of the enactment of this
Act (as determined by the Administrator).
(b) Waste Recycling.--Congress declares it to be the national goal
of the United States that at least 50 percent of the municipal solid
waste stream shall be recycled by the end of 2020, and 65 percent of
such waste stream shall be recycled by the end of 2030 (as determined
by the Administrator).
(c) Marine Debris Reduction.--Congress declares it to be the
national goal of the United States that there shall be no increase in
the flow of marine debris into the ocean above the level of such flow
in the year of the enactment of this Act (as determined by the
Administrator).
SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) Requirement.--The Administrator shall report to Congress each
year the following:
(1) The amount and composition of municipal solid waste
generated in the United States.
(2) The amount and composition of municipal solid waste
generated in the United States that enters the ocean.
(3) The methods used to manage such waste.
(4) The progress made in achieving the source reduction,
recycling, and marine debris reduction goals of this Act, the
impediments to the attainment of such goals, and
recommendations on the regulatory or legislative initiatives
necessary to attain such goals.
(b) First Report.--The first report under this section shall be
submitted not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON PRIMARY LEAKAGE PATHS OF MARINE DEBRIS INTO THE
OCEAN.
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Administrator shall provide to Congress a report that includes the
following:
(1) Identification of the pathways through which marine
debris reaches the ocean, such as consumer discards, flawed
waste management designs, and infrastructural leaks, as
determined in consultation with experts, including waste
management, consumer goods, and infrastructure experts.
(2) Best practices that may be used at the Federal, State,
and local level to reduce or eliminate such pathways, including
methods to address infrastructural leaks, regulation, or
economic incentives.
SEC. 6. PRODUCTS AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) List and Recycling Determinations.--
(1) Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the
Secretary of Commerce, shall develop a list of categories of
commonly used products and packaging which are discarded into
the municipal solid waste stream. With respect to each category
on the list, the Administrator shall determine the following:
(A) The percentage of recovered materials used in
the manufacture of products or packaging in each
category.
(B) The source reduction and recovery efficiency of
products or packaging in each category.
(C) The percentage of products or packaging in each
category that is recycled upon discard.
(D) The percentage of products or packaging in each
category that enters the ocean upon discard or is
otherwise littered.
(E) The life cycle environmental effects associated
with the products or packaging in each category
compared to product or packaging alternatives, using
standard life cycle assessment methodologies and
categories of environmental impacts, including climate
change, human health, eutrophication, acidification,
water use, land use, and ecosystems toxicity.
(2) Upon completion of the list and determinations required
under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall identify
categories of products or packaging that shall be targeted for
regulatory action under subsection (b). The Administrator shall
target a category based upon high overall life cycle impact of
the product or package compared to the alternatives,
considering categories of environmental impacts, recovered
material content, recyclability, and high volume in the waste
stream.
(b) Regulatory Action.--With respect to each category of product or
packaging identified under subsection (a)(2), the Administrator may
take the following actions:
(1) The Administrator may promulgate regulations to require
the manufacturer of the product or packaging to use recovered
materials of that or another category in the product or
packaging. In promulgating regulations under this paragraph,
the Administrator shall, to the extent practicable, consider
the potential life cycle impacts of requiring recovered
material content in a product or packaging on increasing
greenhouse gases and water usage, current regulations regarding
the use of recovered materials, and potential market
disruptions to recovered materials.
(2) The Administrator may phase in any of the actions taken
under paragraph (1) if the Administrator determines it to be
necessary for economic reasons.
SEC. 7. PACKAGING STANDARDS.
The Administrator and the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation
with affected industries, experts in package design and marketing,
companies engaged in collecting and processing products and packages,
and environmental organizations, shall develop a voluntary system of
packaging standards with respect to materials contained within the
packaging and the recyclability of the packaging upon discard, which
may include implementation of an existing labeling standard where
appropriate. The standards shall provide that packaging that meets the
standards shall be eligible to use a label indicating compliance with
the standards for promotion and educational purposes.
SEC. 8. REPORT ON LANDFILL CLOSURES.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report analyzing the costs
and difficulties encountered by States and local communities in closing
landfills. The report shall include recommendations on the types and
levels of Federal assistance (including technical guidance and funds)
that should be provided to States and local communities for such
purpose.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) The term ``marine debris'' is human-created waste that
has been discharged into the coastal or marine environment,
including any anthropogenic, manufactured, or processed solid
material (regardless of size) discarded, disposed of, or
abandoned in the environment, including all materials discarded
into the ocean, on the shore, or brought indirectly to the
ocean by rivers, sewage, storm water, waves, or wind.
(3) The term ``recovered material'' has the meaning given
that term in section 1004 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6903).
(4) The term ``recycled'' means reused, recovered, or
reclaimed from solid waste through any means, including
remanufacturing, reprocessing, and waste-to-energy
technologies.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.
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