WASHINGTON – Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), co-chairs of the Senate Recycling Caucus, with Reps. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), co-chairs of the House Recycling Caucus, will host a joint Senate and House Recycling Caucus Briefing that will explore the critical connection between recycling, the economy and the environment. The briefing will take place on Thursday, July 28, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in Capitol Visitors Center, SVC Room 203-202, U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

Recycling is one of the most visible facets of America's environmental, energy and sustainability policies. In addition to being an established aspect of our country's environmental practices, recycling also creates good-paying jobs, stimulates the U.S. economy and helps balance the our nation's trade deficit. In 2010, the U.S. recycling industry recycled over 130 million metric tons of recyclable materials valued at $77 billion, from which 44 million metric tons valued at almost $30 billion was sold to over 154 countries around the world.

Today, however, the recycling industry faces many obstacles to its continued growth. Decades of declines in U.S. manufacturing activity have adversely impacted both the supply of recyclable materials and the demand for recycled materials. Greater public and private program investment is needed to modernize and expand the existing recycling infrastructure, and recycling rates.

At the briefing, Sen. Carper will join leaders in the recycling industry – representing the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries, Pratt Industries, California Resource Recovery Association, Axion International and HiTech Assets – to discuss their ongoing efforts to convert recyclables into products that add value to our economy and our environment.

WHAT:
The Senate and House Recycling Caucuses host the briefing, "Sustaining the U.S. Recycling Economy: How Recycling Benefits Our Economy and Our Environment"

WHO:
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)
Co-Chair, Senate Recycling Caucus

Robin Wiener
President
Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries

Brian McPheely
Chief Executive Officer
Pratt Industries

Stephen Bantillo
Executive Director
California Resource Recovery Association

Jim Kerstein
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Axion International

Lane Epperson
President
HiTech Assets

WHEN:
Thursday July 28, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:
Room SVC 203-202
Capitol Visitors Center
U.S. Capitol Building
Washington, DC

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