H.Res. 927

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 927 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 927

Declaring support by the House of Representatives for Design for 
Recycling (DFR) initiatives that limit all types of waste by 
encouraging manufacturers to design their products to have the maximum 
number of recyclable components.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 4, 2025

Mr. Correa (for himself, Mrs. Kim, and Mr. Morelle) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce

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RESOLUTION

Declaring support by the House of Representatives for Design for 
Recycling (DFR) initiatives that limit all types of waste by 
encouraging manufacturers to design their products to have the maximum 
number of recyclable components.

Whereas Design for Recycling (DFR) is a method of designing products to ensure 
they are made from recycled material, are free of hazardous materials 
that may impede the recycling process, and can be easily recycled 
through current or newly designed recycling processes and procedures 
after the end of their life in a cost-effective manner;
Whereas DFR would reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, reducing 
greenhouse gases and the consumption of raw materials;
Whereas the recycled materials industry annually contributes nearly 
$170,000,000,000 to the United States economy and provides nearly 
$20,200,000,000 in net exports, helping to reduce the United States 
trade deficit;
Whereas, according to the Recycled Materials Association, the recycled materials 
industry annually generates $7,160,000,000 in State and local tax 
revenues and provides another $11,550,000,000 in Federal tax revenue 
from the industry and its employees;
Whereas, according to the Recycled Materials Association, the recycled materials 
industry provides nearly 600,000 jobs in the United States both directly 
and indirectly;
Whereas, in 2022, the recycled materials industry recycled over 137,000,000 
metric tons of materials;
Whereas, according to calculations from the Waste Reduction Model, Version 16, 
of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using recycled materials 
in manufacturing reduces energy consumption by up to 90 percent;
Whereas the EPA estimates that about 75 percent of waste is recyclable, but only 
35 percent of that is actually recycled, leaving the rest to go to 
landfills and incinerators;
Whereas Americans generated more than 267,000,000 tons of solid waste in 2020 or 
4.9 pounds per person per day;
Whereas the container and fiberglass industries collectively purchase 3,350,000 
tons of recycled glass annually, which is remelted and repurposed for 
use in the production of new containers and fiberglass products;
Whereas, according to the nonprofit rePurpose Global, about 75 percent of global 
plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and molded over 
and over to produce new plastics (or plastic products);
Whereas only about 20 percent of the polyethylene terephthalate, high-density 
polyethylene, and polypropylene plastics in circulation in the United 
States are recycled;
Whereas the United States generates about 6,900,000 tons of e-waste but only 
recycles around 25 percent;
Whereas, according to the EPA, e-waste sometimes has hazardous chemicals such as 
lead, mercury, and arsenic that can require special disposal methods;
Whereas recycling e-waste is a sustainable way to recover rare earth materials 
like neodymium, dysprosium, and yttrium;
Whereas, according to the American Forest and Paper Association nearly 60 
percent more paper products are recycled today than in 1990 due to 
innovative packaging and investments focused on improving recycling 
technology;
Whereas, according to a study by The Recycling Partnership, additional 
investment in recycling will create 200,000 new jobs;
Whereas, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, material journey mapping, 
which is a process of understanding the entire lifecycle of a material 
from extraction to disposal, can help companies succeed at DFR;
Whereas, in 2021, the company Cascade Engineering manufactured the first 
curbside cart, EcoCart, made from bulky rigid plastics collected from 
curbside residential recycling, this is an example of DFR;
Whereas the California Redemption Value program incentivizes consumers through 
the free market to return their cans and bottles to a recycling center;
Whereas, according to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, ``the circular economy is 
a system where products and materials are kept in circulation through 
processes like maintenance, reuse, recycling, and composting.'';
Whereas there are companies that assist manufacturers to embrace a circular 
approach through their eco-design and sustainable sourcing models;
Whereas using local resources in manufacturing and understanding locally 
available resources can promote circularity (a circular approach);
Whereas product life extension means keeping material and products in the supply 
chain for as long as possible so products are more durable, and 
companies can find innovative ways to use the product after its normal 
life ends;
Whereas dematerialization is a strategy to minimize the use of raw materials and 
energy in product creation while maintaining the products quality;
Whereas the collection of recycling data by CalRecycle is critical to helping 
manufacturers design packaging for recyclability and is a model for 
other programs; and
Whereas DFR would encourage manufacturers of goods to ensure their products are 
made of recycled material and fully recyclable: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports measures by the manufacturing community to 
adopt ``Design for Recycling'' initiatives that aim to make it 
easier for companies to recycle products, reduce waste and 
greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the need for raw 
materials; and
(2) confirms that the recycled materials industry serves an 
essential role in our economy as they manage end-of-life 
products, provide vital raw materials to the manufacturing 
supply chain, contribute to the economy, and employ over half-
a-million people throughout the United States.
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