Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

EPA event makes recycling a focus

- FRANK E. LOCKWOOD

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmen­tal Protection Agency celebrated America Recycles Day earlier this month by organizing what it called a Recycling Summit.

EPA Administra­tor Andrew Wheeler, a participan­t in the event, emphasized the need to “create a more sustainabl­e recycling system in America and across the globe.”

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeie­r warned that marine debris “poses a significan­t threat to our oceans, marine life and coastal communitie­s.” He stressed the need to develop “next-generation biodegrada­ble plastics” and to create

“cost-effective technologi­es to gather, recycle and treat plastic waste.”

Wheeler also recently participat­ed in a round-table discussion on “Building a Resilient Recycling System through Infrastruc­ture Investment and Market Developmen­t” that included representa­tives from large U.S. corporatio­ns, including Walmart.

In a news release, U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., praised the EPA “for bringing stakeholde­rs together to build on the recycling industry’s successes and help raise awareness of America Recycles Day.”

The lawmaker from Rogers, who serves as co-chairman of the Senate Recycling Caucus, said recycling is good for the environmen­t and good for business, strengthen­ing the economy and creating “hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs nationwide.”

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