NERC requests comments for glass recycled-content model legislation

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), Brattleboro, Vermont, is requesting public comments for the Draft Glass Minimum Postconsumer Recycled Content Model Legislation.

According to a news release from NERC, a diverse group of stakeholders worked together to develop the draft model legislation for minimum postconsumer recycled-content requirements in glass food and beverage containers and fiberglass insulation. NERC says the model legislation is intended for legislators to use as a starting point to develop legislation requiring the use of postconsumer recycled glass in specified products sold in their states.

NERC says the main goals of the legislation are to incentivize the markets for recycled glass, improve the economics of recovering rather than disposing of valuable material and reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing. The model legislation promotes the expanded use of postconsumer recycled glass in manufacturing new products, motivates further development of markets for postconsumer recycled glass and reduces discarded glass disposed of as waste.

More than 60 workgroup members helped NERC to draft the model legislation. NERC says workgroup members included brands, glass container manufacturers, fiberglass insulation manufacturers, glass recyclers and beneficiators, industry associations, distributors, retailers, haulers, material recovery facility operators, state environmental agencies, state recycling organizations and environmental advocacy groups.

Workgroup chairs who led the discussions included Chris Nelson, supervising environmental analyst of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, and Stephen Burm, director of state government affairs at Anheuser-Busch, with technical help from Ed Ferguson, director of sustainability at Anheuser-Busch.

A webinar will provide more details on the draft model legislation Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. EDT. Comments and suggested edits can be made via an online feedback form. NERC reports that additional comments may be emailed to Mary Ann Remolador, assistant director of NERC, at maryann@nerc.org. The public comment period for the draft legislation is open until Nov. 11 at midnight EST.