# Understanding the RECYCLE Act of 2021

The RECYCLE Act is designed to improve how the United States handles electronic waste and recycling. The bill focuses on making it easier and more practical for people and businesses to recycle old electronics like computers, phones, televisions, and other devices that contain valuable materials and hazardous substances. Right now, electronic waste often ends up in landfills where toxic materials can leak into the environment, or it gets shipped overseas to countries with poor environmental protections where workers handle it unsafely.

This bill works by setting national standards for how electronics manufacturers and retailers need to handle recycling. Essentially, it puts more responsibility on the companies that make and sell these products to ensure they can be recycled properly. The law encourages manufacturers to design products that are easier to take apart and recycle, and it requires retailers and manufacturers to provide convenient ways for consumers to drop off old electronics for recycling. The goal is to create a system where recycling becomes the normal option rather than something difficult to find.

For everyday people, this means you'll likely have easier access to places where you can drop off old phones, computers, and other electronics without having to pay a fee or search extensively for a recycling center. For businesses and manufacturers, it means they'll need to invest in recycling infrastructure and design products with the end of their life cycle in mind. The bill also aims to recover valuable materials like gold, copper, and rare earth elements from old electronics, which reduces the need to mine new materials and helps the environment. Overall, the RECYCLE Act tries to shift electronic waste from being a pollution problem into being a resource that gets properly managed and reused.

RECYCLE Act of 2021

Portman, Rob

Recycling Enhancements to Collection and Yield through Consumer Learning and Education Act of 2021 or the RECYCLE Act This bill provides support for recycling programs. Specifically, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a program to award grants to improve the effectiveness of residential and community recycling programs through public education and outreach. In addition, the EPA must develop a model recycling program toolkit for states, Native American tribes, and local governments. Finally, the bill specifies that the EPA's review of its federal procurement guidelines for&nbsp;purchasing certain recycled materials and items made with such materials must occur at least once every five years.