Sustainable Materials Management: A Compliment or a Barrier to Recycling?
Presenters: Kara Pochiro, APR VP of Communicatiosn & Public Affairs; Steve Alexander, APR President & CEO; and Ron Vance, Chief, Resource Conservation Branch, US EPA
According to the EPA, "Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire life cycles," but is the program a compliment or a barrier to recycling? APR firmly believes that sustainability cannot exist without strong recycling systems and programs. Can SMM and recycling complement each other? Of course, but it should not be used to replace recycling as a key component of sustainability, or as a diversion of resources from the necessary investment in infrastructure to support and expand recycling. Learn about the basic principles of SMM and why recycling should remain a crucial element in its adoption.
