The 2018 spending bill approved by lawmakers and signed by the president last week contains good news for the U.S. EPA and its recycling-related programs: The agency avoided significant budget cuts that were proposed last year.
Steel and aluminum imports have been singled out by the White House, and though plenty of questions linger about the development, prices for recyclables could jump in the short term.
Extended producer responsibility rose to the forefront of debate in Connecticut as a strategy to reduce packaging waste in line with state mandates. A committee tasked with advising lawmakers during the coming legislative session recently split on the strategy, but the majority advised against it.
A legislative effort to update Iowa’s bottle bill has failed, as state lawmakers declined to send it out of committee for further consideration.
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A number of weighty topics are being discussed in statehouses this year, including extended producer responsibility for packaging, gutting of recycling funds and recycled-content mandates.
An overhaul of the federal tax system was signed into law last month, ushering in major changes in how businesses throughout the recycling industry are taxed. At the same time, impacts may be felt at recycling nonprofit groups as some analysts predict declines in charitable giving.
The federal tax bill before Congress this week retains tax incentives and exemptions that could boost the recycling sector.
A key unknown during the Congressional tax negotiations was the fate of tax-exempt private activity bonds, which are frequently utilized in the solid waste and recycling industry. It now appears they’ll be retained.
Tax reform legislation moving through Congress could help recycling companies deduct equipment expenditures.
Tax reform bills approved by the U.S. House and Senate include sweeping cuts to business taxes, and recycling industry associations are applauding the business-friendly measures.
