The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) issued the 2016 State of Recycling address, on America Recycles Day, during a U.S. Senate Briefing and Livestream Event on Capitol Hill. It highlighted the current economic, environmental, and social impacts of recycling in the U.S., and related policy issues. 鈥淚SRI is proud to join Senate Recycling Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Tom Carper and Senator John Boozman in sharing the current state of the U.S. recycling industry,鈥� said ISRI President Robin Wiener. 鈥淩ecycling remains a vibrant activity and the first link in the global manufacturing supply chain, supplying nearly 50 percent of the world鈥檚 raw materials needs while providing unmistakable economic and environmental benefits in our local communities, across the country, and throughout the globe.鈥�
The recycling industry has long been recognized as one of the world鈥檚 first green industries, born out of the need to recover and conserve valuable resources. From the earliest of times, people recognized the intrinsic value of recycling and the benefits associated with using and re-using existing materials to create new products. Rising global demand for scrap also provides a useful outlet for our excess scrap supply, with between 30 to 40 percent of the scrap processed in the U.S. annually exported to more than 150 countries around the globe. 聽Since the year 2000, net exports of U.S. scrap have made a positive contribution to our balance of trade amounting to more than $210 billion.
鈥淚t is important to remember that recyclable materials are commodities, not waste,鈥� said Wiener. 鈥淭hey are highly valuable and tradeable products, produced according to globally recognized specifications for purchase by industrial consumers 鈥� including steel mills, metal refiners, plastic manufacturers, foundries, and paper mills – to meet their raw material needs. Manufacturers value the use of scrap for the significant cost and energy savings provided.鈥� The Senate Briefing also featured a panel focused on plastics recycling, including representatives from the plastics recycling industry and Keep America Beautiful.
For more information, visit .