The Senate has approved two bills meant to bolster sustainable waste management practices nationwide.
The “Strategies To Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act,” S. 351, led by Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), passed by unanimous consent before last week’s recess.
The “STEWARD Act” would put money toward infrastructure for recycling systems mainly in rural areas and better data collection on recycling and compositing systems. The proposal combines two bills that previously passed the Senate but stalled in the House.
The Senate also passed by unanimous consent the “Research for Environmental Uses and Sustainable Economies (REUSE) Act,” S. 2110, led by Capito and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee.
