A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to establish procurement criteria for plastic products containing recycled material; to establish an interagency task force on plastic container coding to coordinate the expertise, responsibilities, and initiatives of Federal agencies to facilitate use of degradable plastics, without adversely affecting recycling of nondegradable plastic products, to require coding of plastic containers to facilitate separation of degradable plastic containers from nondegradable plastic containers and sorting of nondegradable plastic containers by resin type to promote recycling containers, and for other purposes.

Summary

Directs the Administrator of General Services to: (1) establish criteria for plastic products to qualify as manufactured from plastic containing recycled material for Federal procurement purposes; (2) evaluate the performance characteristics for plastics containing recycled material that meet such criteria; (3) determine the suitability of such plastics for particular products and applications for Federal procurement purposes; and (4) identify products made from such plastics for which the Administrator has determined such plastic is suitable. Requires the Administrator to make identified products available in the General Services government purchasing catalogue. Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Plastic Container Coding to coordinate activities under this Act and to assure that use of degradable plastic products does not adversely affect recycling of nondegradable plastic products. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to require plastic containers manufactured or offered for sale in the United States to be coded to identify the principal plastic resin used in such containers. Establishes a symbol and numbers identifying specific types of resins, including degradable resins, for such codes. Prohibits States or political subdivisions from: (1) enforcing any law applicable to plastic coding unless requirements are the same as requirements under this Act; and (2) any ban on plastic containers coded in compliance with this Act unless such ban is equally applicable to containers made from other materials. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Requires the Task Force to study and report to the Congress on technology to facilitate the automated sorting of recyclable and nonrecyclable plastics in municipal solid waste and to separate such plastics by resin type. Authorizes appropriations.

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• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 7 March 1991

  Open at official source

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