North Carolina has become the 11th US state to include recycling as an essential industry. The inclusion was announced in a statement in the State House on Jun 30.
Commenting on the essential nature of the scrap industry state Rep. Jason Saine noted in the statement published in the House journal that steel, aluminum and other manufacturers had a consistent supply of raw material during the COVID-19 pandemic because of recyclers across the state. The scrap industry has also kept thousands of mt of recyclable material out of the state’s landfills through this process.
He added that the recycling industry also supplied used auto parts, thereby making reasonably priced repairs and dependable transportation more accessible for drivers during the pandemic. Saine commended the work done by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and the Recycling Association of North Carolina (RANC) in keeping the scrap industry open during the pandemic.
The state’s recycling industry also followed all protocols outlined by the government and operated safely, protecting its employees and customers.
North Carolina joins Massachusetts, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana as states that have included recycling as an essential industry.