Improving our nation’s infrastructure is a top priority for cities and towns across the country. As a mayor, I applaud efforts by Congress and the Biden administration to make much-needed repairs to our roads, bridges, rail, and transit systems. But another piece of the nation’s infrastructure needs to be part of these improvement plans — our country’s recycling system.
As a local leader, I know firsthand how much recycling matters in our communities. It reduces waste, conserves natural resources, cuts down on litter, and creates jobs. But to improve recycling efforts we need to make improvements in our recycling infrastructure.
For far too long, America has relied on other countries to process the trash we collect in our neighborhoods and local communities. According to 2018 Census Bureau export data, 157,000, 20-foot shipping containers of U.S.-generated plastic waste was being shipped to China and other countries every day, increasing carbon emissions during its transport and leaving us with no guarantee that it would not end up in landfills or in nature. Pardon the pun, but what a waste.
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