To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to prepare a report on reuse and refill systems, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Passed SenateReported by Mrs. Capito, without amendment
Passed Senate (inferred from es version)
Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mrs. Capito) introduced the following …
Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mrs. Capito) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The REUSE Act of 2025 requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator to prepare and publish a comprehensive report on reuse and refill systems within 2 years of enactment. The report must evaluate the feasibility and best practices for reuse and refill programs across various sectors including food service, consumer products, personal care, retail shipping, and educational institutions.
Who Benefits and How
Reusable packaging companies and circular economy advocates benefit from federal attention and research on reuse systems, which could lead to future supportive policies and increased market awareness. Communities and businesses exploring sustainable alternatives to single-use packaging gain access to a comprehensive federal study identifying best practices, economic costs and benefits, job creation opportunities, and implementation barriers. States and local governments receive guidance on types of support needed to expand reuse programs where economically feasible.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The EPA faces the administrative burden of preparing the report, including consulting with stakeholders, analyzing existing programs in states and foreign countries, and evaluating economic impacts across multiple sectors. Disposable packaging manufacturers may face indirect impacts if the report's findings lead to future regulations or policies favoring reusable alternatives, though this bill itself creates no regulatory requirements.
Key Provisions
- Requires EPA to publish a report on reuse and refill system feasibility within 2 years
- Report must evaluate systems across food service, consumer products, personal care, shipping, and education sectors
- Must analyze economic costs and benefits for businesses deploying reuse systems and waste collection entities
- Must examine job creation opportunities from expanding reuse and refill programs
- Must identify barriers to widespread implementation and types of local, state, and federal support needed
- Requires EPA to consider existing programs in states, localities, and foreign countries
- Mandates consultation with relevant reuse and refill system stakeholders
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Requires the EPA Administrator to prepare a comprehensive feasibility report on reuse and refill systems for various product sectors
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Information-gathering and policy research to support future legislation on circular economy and waste reduction"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Reusable packaging companies
- Circular economy advocates
- Waste reduction organizations
- Communities seeking sustainable waste solutions
Likely Burden Bearers
- EPA (report preparation workload)
- Disposable packaging manufacturers (potential future regulatory impact)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
A set of mechanisms relating to refillable or reusable products and beverage containers that is supported by adequate infrastructure to ensure products can be repeatedly recovered, inspected, repaired, and reissued into the supply chain for multiple cycles, and conveniently reused or refilled by producers and consumers
As defined in section 1004 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6903)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology