The Definition of Solid Waste

Recovered fiber should not be regulated as a solid waste.

The Issue

Regulations meant to manage how garbage, or solid waste, is handled are often applied to recyclable materials, including recovered fiber.

Our Position

Materials recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream for recycling, including recovered fiber, are not solid waste.

Our Approach

A bale of recycled corrugated boxes going to a paper mill is no more a solid waste than a log going to a sawmill. Both are raw materials in a manufacturing process, yet the bale of paper fiber is often subject to federal, state, and local solid waste laws with negative effects on the recycling industry.

We continue to monitor legislation at all levels of government to ensure that recycled materials are treated as commodities, not as garbage.