SWANA) is recognized as a leading subject matter expert on solid waste and recycling management in the United States. SWANA has provided guidance to municipal and private sector waste and recycling operations to help them address ongoing challenges facing local recycling programs, all while protecting workers and the public during the pandemic. SWANA Executive Director and CEO, David Biderman, and SWANA Advocacy & Safety Senior Manager, Jesse Maxwell, are available to answer questions from the media about America Recycles Day, major recycling market developments, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s impending release of its National Recycling Strategy. Leaders can also discuss major recycling legislation at the state and federal levels.
In early November, SWANA will be releasing an update about the strong recovery in commodity prices and the positive impact on local recycling programs. Prices and demand for recyclables from municipal curbside recycling programs have rebounded and are at—or close to—record highs in the United States and Canada. SWANA leaders can provide context on this important, and underreported, development.
SWANA worked with the EPA to help the Agency develop its National Recycling Strategy and the national recycling goal, announced in November 2020, of diverting 50 percent of municipal solid waste by 2030. The United States currently recycles or composts about 32 percent of the 290 million tons of MSW generated annually. Although about 100 curbside recycling programs were suspended in recent years in response to lower prices and the pandemic, increased demand for recovered paper and plastic is bolstering many recycling programs and encouraging capital investment. SWANA leaders can share their perspective on what the industry can expect.