South Carolina is the latest state to pass a resolution to “recognize and commend” the recycling industry and its workers, joining Massachusetts, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Tennessee.
On March 4, South Carolina’s state house passed House Bill 4026, recognizing the South Carolina Recyclers Association, the Carolina Recycling Association, ISRI, and the members of all three organizations for keeping South Carolina’s manufacturing industry operational during the pandemic. Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Tommy Pope introduced the bill, which the entire roll of the South Carolina House co-sponsored.
Like the other states’ resolutions, South Carolina’s bill recognizes recyclers of specific commodities, including those who process automobiles, scrap metal, electronics, paper, glass, plastics, rubber, and textiles. It recognizes the role of recycled and refurbished commodities in facilitating student learning (through repaired electronics); manufacturing necessary products, like hospital gowns; and protecting public health and the environment.
The resolution is a “great acknowledgement of the important role our companies play in the manufacturing supply chain,” says Barry Wolff, executive vice president and general manager of Charleston Steel & Metal Co. and president of ISRI’s Southeast Chapter. He says the resolution came about as a “direct result of the relationships we as an industry have with our legislators.”
Using the skills and tips gained from an ISRI lobbyist training in December, recyclers across the country continue working with their representatives to pass resolutions recognizing the recycling industry and its workers.
Image courtesy of jpellgen from flickr.com.
