The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal
The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal covers wide-ranging discussions with the Capitol city's policy movers, shakers, and thinkers. The Lunch Hour provides a unique look at the people behind the policy debates that are moving in DC.
The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal
Ep. 187 - Recycling, Waste Policy & Remaking in America w/Heidi Sanborn
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How can America reduce waste, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and rebuild its recycling infrastructure at the same time?
On this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Heidi Sanborn, founding director and CEO of the National Stewardship Action Council (NSAC) and the National Stewardship Action Foundation.
Sanborn discusses the growing crisis facing America’s recycling and waste management systems, why domestic recycling infrastructure is collapsing, and how short-term economic thinking has made the United States increasingly dependent on China for recycled materials and manufacturing inputs.
The conversation explores how environmental stewardship, economic resilience, permitting reform, and supply chain security increasingly overlap — and why policies designed to promote sustainability can sometimes unintentionally undermine it.
Major topics include:
• Why waste and pollution are closely connected
• The collapse of America’s recycling infrastructure
• China’s influence over global recycled material markets
• The Remade in America Pledge
• Trade policy, tariffs, and domestic manufacturing
• Recycling, permitting reform, and regulatory barriers
• Mechanical vs. chemical recycling systems
• Hazardous waste disposal and marine flare safety
• Producer responsibility and product stewardship laws
• How AI and technology are changing recycling operations
Sanborn also explains how the National Stewardship Action Council works with states across the country to create policies focused on producer responsibility, safer waste management systems, and stronger domestic recycling markets.
The discussion closes with a broader conversation about balancing environmental goals, affordability, regulation, and long-term economic sustainability.
00:00 — Intro + Heidi Sanborn joins the show
01:25 — How Heidi got started in recycling
02:10 — Why waste equals inefficiency
05:18 — Recycling policy and regulatory challenges
08:14 — Why companies buy recycled materials from China
11:19 — Recycling, trade policy, and American manufacturing
16:28 — The Remade in America Pledge
20:08 — Chemical recycling vs. mechanical recycling
22:26 — Permitting reform and environmental policy
27:17 — Marine flare disposal challenges
30:04 — What the National Stewardship Action Council does
32:29 — Life in Sacramento and Lake Tahoe
33:14 — Where to follow NSAC and support the mission
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