- Agency Urged to Improve Consumer Education, Outreach on Proper Recycling
The cleaning product supply chain supports efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enhance useful data collection and analysis that will identify factors that contribute to effective recycling programs, according to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI).
ACI was responding to two requests for information (RFIs) from the EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, regarding the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Program and the Recycling Education and Outreach; Grant Program and Model Recycling Program Toolkit.
“ACI recognizes the importance of Solid Waste Recycling Programs and appreciates the EPA’s ongoing efforts to enhance and improve the programs,” stated Kathleen Stanton, ACI Associate Vice President, Technical and International Affairs. “ACI and its members are committed to taking steps to improve recycling systems and encourage the use of sustainable recycling practices, including an ambitious goal to achieve 100% collection and reuse, recycling or composting of cleaning product packaging waste by 2040.”
In the comments, ACI:
- Supports the use of federal grant funds and policies to improve data collection surrounding recycling, especially those programs operated at the municipal and community levels
- Recommends efforts to support useful data collection and analysis concerning identifying factors that contribute to the most effective municipal and community recycling programs
- Supports efforts to establish key performance measures and indicators of the effectiveness of municipal and community recycling programs and improve awareness and use of existing recycling practices and programs
“ACI supports the Agency’s use of educational and outreach tools and grant funds to improve waste prevention, increase recycling and reduce contamination in the recycling stream,” wrote Stanton. “Consumer education is imperative to having an effective recycling system, ensuring that packaging is re-entering the recycling stream.
“ACI has established guiding principles that help us ensure our products, which provide hygiene and cleanliness, do so in a manner that is environmentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Our members have collaborated on guidelines to help direct design and manufacturing, and to aid in the development and use of recyclable packaging.”
“ACI supports the Agency’s objectives and use of funds to promote a common understanding of which materials are suitable for collection and recycling, and to ensure common terms and definitions in this regard are used and understood by the users of cleaning products.”
Read the full comments here and here.
View ACI’s Cleaning Product Recycling Guide.
The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $60 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. ACI serves the growth and innovation of the U.S. cleaning products industry by advancing the health and quality of life of people and protecting our planet. ACI achieves this through a continuous commitment to sound science and being a credible voice for the cleaning products industry.