The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the voice for the rapidly growing U.S. flexible packaging industry, applauds the introduction and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee advancement of the Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act (S.351).  

As the second largest and fastest growing segment of the domestic packaging industry, FPA’s members employ approximately 83,000 workers in the United States. Flexible packaging is produced from paper, plastic, film, aluminum foil, or any combination of these materials, and includes bags, pouches, labels, liners, wraps, rollstock, and other flexible products.  

“FPA and its members are committed to helping solve plastic waste issues and increasing the recycling of packaging, and this bipartisan legislation is part of that solution,” said FPA President & CEO Dan Felton. “We urge the House to follow the Senate’s lead and advance this legislation.”

The STEWARD Act is a combination of the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (RIAA) and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (RCAA) that the FPA actively supported in the last Congress.  

The STEWARD Act would:

• Establish the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand recycling access in underserved communities through a pilot grant program.
• Authorize the EPA to collect and analyze data on market trends, material processing rates, and the effectiveness of curbside recycling programs, along with associated accessibility challenges.
• Direct the EPA to assess national composting potential, evaluating infrastructure, regulatory barriers, costs, and industry trends.

For more information on FPA’s advocacy efforts, please reach out to John Richard at jrichard@flexpack.org or visit FPA’s website.