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HR 997 102th Congress House

National Recycling Resource Act

Official title: To amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require a refund value for certain beverage containers, and to provide resources for State pollution prevention and recycling programs, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 20, 1991 See on congress.gov
Environmental Protection Beverage containersFines (Penalties)PackagingRecycling of waste productsRefuse and refuse disposal
This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 1, 1991
Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials.
Feb 20, 1991
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Feb 20, 1991
Introduced in House
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 Latest action March 1, 1991

Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

National Recycling Resource Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to prohibit the sale of beer, mineral water, soda water, wine coolers, or carbonated soft drinks in beverage containers by retailers and distributors unless such containers carry a refund value of ten cents. Requires distributors to collect from retailers the refund value for each beverage sold to such retailers. Directs retailers to collect from consumers the refund value for each beverage sold to such consumers. Requires retailers and distributors to pay the refund on returned containers of brands (in the same kind and size of container) sold by such retailers or distributors.

Directs distributors to pay annually to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency unclaimed refund amounts (the amount by which the total refund value of all containers sold by such distributors exceeds the amount paid by distributors to retailers). Makes unclaimed refunds available to the Administrator for administration of this Act and to carry out pollution prevention and recycling programs.

Prohibits distributors and retailers from selling beverages in metal beverage containers with detachable openings.

Makes this Act inapplicable (except for the prohibition on the sale of metal containers with detachable openings) to Michigan, Massachusetts, Oregon, Iowa, New York, Delaware, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, and any State that: (1) has established a program to expend amounts equal to total unclaimed refunds for solid waste management plans; and (2) has adopted requirements identical to those under this Act for beverage containers, or has demonstrated to the Administrator that the State has achieved a 70 percent return rate for such containers.

Prohibits States or political subdivisions from imposing any tax on the sale of beverage containers.

Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations to provide for the adjustment for inflation of the ten cent refund amount at ten-year intervals.

Prescribes civil penalties for violations of this Act.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 997: National Recycling Resource Act. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-997/
MLA
"H.R. 997: National Recycling Resource Act." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-997/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 997, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-997/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 997: National Recycling Resource Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-997/)
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