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S 603 102th Congress Senate Environmental Protection Beverage containers Biodegradation Container industry Executive reorganization Federal advisory bodies Federal preemption Fines (Penalties) Government procurement Labeling Municipal services Packaging Plastics Recycling of waste products Signs and symbols

A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to establish procurement criteria for plastic products containing recycled material…

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A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to establish procurement criteria for plastic products containing recycled material; to establish an interagency task force on plastic container coding to coordinate the expertise, responsibilities, and initiatives of Federal agencies to facilitate use of degradable plastics, without adversely affecting recycling of nondegradable plastic products, to require coding of plastic containers to facilitate separation of degradable plastic containers from nondegradable plastic containers and sorting of nondegradable plastic containers by resin type to promote recycling containers, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 7, 1991 See on congress.gov
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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 7, 1991
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Mar 7, 1991
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Directs the Administrator of General Services to: (1) establish criteria for plastic products to qualify as manufactured from plastic containing recycled material for Federal procurement purposes; (2) evaluate the performance characteristics for plastics containing recycled material that meet such criteria; (3) determine the suitability of such plastics for particular products and applications for Federal procurement purposes; and (4) identify products made from such plastics for which the Administrator has determined such plastic is suitable. Requires the Administrator to make identified products available in the General Services government purchasing catalogue.

Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Plastic Container Coding to coordinate activities under this Act and to assure that use of degradable plastic products does not adversely affect recycling of nondegradable plastic products.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to require plastic containers manufactured or offered for sale in the United States to be coded to identify the principal plastic resin used in such containers. Establishes a symbol and numbers identifying specific types of resins, including degradable resins, for such codes.

Prohibits States or political subdivisions from: (1) enforcing any law applicable to plastic coding unless requirements are the same as requirements under this Act; and (2) any ban on plastic containers coded in compliance with this Act unless such ban is equally applicable to containers made from other materials.

Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act.

Requires the Task Force to study and report to the Congress on technology to facilitate the automated sorting of recyclable and nonrecyclable plastics in municipal solid waste and to separate such plastics by resin type.

Authorizes appropriations.

What's happening now March 7, 1991

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 603: A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to establish procurement criteria for plastic products containing recycled material; to establish an interagency task force on plastic container coding to coordinate the expertise, responsibilities, and initiatives of Federal agencies to facilitate use of degradable plastics, without adversely affecting recycling of nondegradable plastic products, to require coding of plastic containers to facilitate separation of degradable plastic containers from nondegradable plastic containers and sorting of nondegradable plastic containers by resin type to promote recycling containers, and for other purposes.. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-603/
MLA
"S. 603: A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to establish procurement criteria for plastic products containing recycled material; to establish an interagency task force on plastic container coding to coordinate the expertise, responsibilities, and initiatives of Federal agencies to facilitate use of degradable plastics, without adversely affecting recycling of nondegradable plastic products, to require coding of plastic containers to facilitate separation of degradable plastic containers from nondegradable plastic containers and sorting of nondegradable plastic containers by resin type to promote recycling containers, and for other purposes.." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-603/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 603, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-603/.
Markdown link
[S. 603: A bill to require the Administrator of General Services to establish procurement criteria for plastic products containing recycled material; to establish an interagency task force on plastic container coding to coordinate the expertise, responsibilities, and initiatives of Federal agencies to facilitate use of degradable plastics, without adversely affecting recycling of nondegradable plastic products, to require coding of plastic containers to facilitate separation of degradable plastic containers from nondegradable plastic containers and sorting of nondegradable plastic containers by resin type to promote recycling containers, and for other purposes.](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-S-603/)
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