Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee—announced that his bipartisan Research for Environmental Uses and Sustainable Economies (REUSE) Act unanimously passed the Senate. Merkley leads the REUSE Act with West Virginia’s U.S. Senator and EPW Committee Chairman Shelley Moore Capito. The REUSE Act is a significant step forward in reducing waste and conserving resources across America by ensuring that reuse and refill systems are integral pillars of our circular economy.
“For years, we were taught the three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle; but too often the reality with plastics is the three Bs—buried, burned, and borne out to sea,” said Merkley. “We are on the way to improving reuse systems as the REUSE Act comes even one step closer to becoming law. When we better understand how reuse and refill systems most effectively operate, we are better able to create a healthier planet and future.”
The bipartisan REUSE Act directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to collect data on reuse and refill systems across various sectors, including consumer packaging, personal care products, and wholesale shipping of retail goods. This legislation also instructs the EPA to provide information on the types of support at the local, state, and federal levels that could enhance reuse and refill systems. This information will help inform stakeholders about how to harness the environmental benefits and economic potential of reuse and refill systems.
Merkley’s REUSE Act is endorsed by dozens of organizations and business leaders.
To learn more about the REUSE Act, including the full text of the legislation, click here.
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