Legislative Committee Corner

We welcomed many new faces and Chair Richard Ludt explained the purpose and objectives of the committee, which are to inform and educate the membership on navigating the legislative process and tracking legislation affecting the industry. He emphasized the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, especially in the new legislative environment. 

Former Mayor of Baltimore Sheila Dixon shared her experience in promoting environmental sustainability and her work with companies in the solid waste industry. Sheila discussed the importance of tracking and influencing legislation, the opportunity that participating in the US Conference of Mayors events might bring, how to engage with elected officials, and the ways in which contributions to politicians often gain their attention. Sheila shared that she is open to meeting with anyone who has an idea on how to benefit the recycling community.

The committee also explored the challenges and potential solutions for recycling mattresses as part of C&D waste, a topic that was also explored during our most recent End Markets Committee meeting. Several attendees compared the challenges related to this waste stream in various parts of the mid-Atlantic region. Another attendee shared his work on creating a level playing field and transparency in recycling rates through third-party facility certification in California. A Florida attendee shared his experiences with calculating recycling rates and the challenges of achieving a 75% recycling rate goal. Richard suggested looking into the Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) and the San Francisco ordinances as potential solutions. The group also discussed the issue of PLA legislation in the recycling space.

Related to the changing legislative landscape, President John Thomas proposed a discussion with someone from the EPA to understand their directives and future focus, suggesting this could help guide state rules and regulations. And several attendees explored what might be gained from achieving greater recognition on the national level, to include potential tax benefits for recyclers.

Finally, Amy Costello from Armstrong World Industries shared information on her company's 26-year-old ceiling tile recycling program and her concerns about extended producer responsibility for packaging, which could impact the organization. And CDRA leaders reported a significant achievement in adjustments to the LEED version 5 language, which differentiates between incineration and spec product creation for energy. They thanked the CDRA for being instrumental to making progress on this issue. CDRA members were urged to vote "Yes" on the LEED v5 member ratification vote if they are USGBC members.