Following the advocacy efforts of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and its chapters, the states of Massachusetts, Alabama, Indiana, Georgia and Tennessee have passed resolutions acknowledging the essential benefits of the recycling industry, according to a news release from the Washington-based organization.
“From the supply of materials transformed into critical tools aiding in the fight against COVID-19 to the vehicles we own, the highways we drive them on, the buildings we live and work in and beyond, the recycling industry is essential in every way,” ISRI Chief Policy Officer Danielle Waterfield says. “ISRI is proud of the work of our members in advocating on behalf of all recyclers, and we are pleased that these resolutions demonstrate that states are recognizing the essential nature of recycling and what recycling workers do on an everyday basis.”
The resolutions reference recycling’s role as the first link in the manufacturing supply chain, providing critically essential resources in the fight against COVID-19 and in keeping the states’ manufacturing industries supplied while preventing valuable raw materials from entering landfills, ISRI says.
Massachusetts became the first state to commend ISRI and its members in a resolution passed Jan. 5 by the House of Representatives. The resolution commends ISRI and its members for “maintaining the economic viability of the supply chain for Massachusetts manufacturers and their employees.”
Alabama’s resolution commends ISRI, the Scrap Recyclers Association of Alabama and the organizations’ members for their roles in maintaining the economic viability of Alabama’s supply chain for manufacturers and for manufacturing employees. The resolution acknowledges the recycling industry’s function in recovering and processing raw materials used in needed products, including toilet paper, respirators, new automobiles, packaging for food and beverages, infrastructure projects and more.
The Georgia resolution recognizes ISRI, the Georgia Recyclers Association, the Georgia Recycling Coalition and their employees as an essential part of the supply chain needed for manufacturing and commends them for their economic contributions to Georgia and for other purposes.
Indiana’s resolution specifically commends the Indiana chapter of ISRI for its COVID-19 response. It also acknowledges that as a leading manufacturer, the state would not have access to “their needed raw materials without the collection, processing and manufacturing of recyclable and recovered materials into raw materials by Indiana’s recycling industry.”
Tennessee’s resolution honors the “Tennessee recycling industry and its many businesses and employees on continuing their necessary work in the production and manufacture of goods and products in Tennessee and throughout the world.”
“ISRI members in other states are also working with their representatives to get similar resolutions passed,” Waterfield says. “We hope that these resolutions and the acknowledgment of recycling as essential to manufacturing, the economy, environment and beyond set a precedent for years to come.”
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