Today, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) delivered the opening statement and questioned witnesses during a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing on refillable and reusable products and infrastructure as innovative solutions to reduce waste.

In his remarks, Mullin, the Ranking Member of the Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee, brought attention to the importance of America’s supply chains remaining competitive in the global market. Mullin argued that driving competition through innovation will allow private industry to tackle waste issues in a way that provides realistic and affordable solutions to both consumers and businesses.

Click here for a video of Mullin’s opening remarks.  

Click here to watch Mullin’s witness Q&A.

Opening remarks as prepared:

Thank you, Chairman Merkley. I would like to start by thanking our witnesses for attending this hearing. We appreciate you taking the time to be with us today.

As I said in our first subcommittee hearing, I believe free-market innovation is the best way to promote sustainability in all forms of waste management, whether that is reusable packing or recycling. 

However, as we discuss potential solutions, we must ensure America’s supply chains remain productive and competitive in the global market.

As we have seen in America and in other countries, a one-size-fits-all mandate is not the right solution. Especially for smaller businesses, who are less likely to be able to absorb added costs. 

Businesses should not be forced to spend time and capital on unnecessary and onerous regulations that do not serve their customers or their business model.

Regulatory overreach has the potential to hamper free-market solutions, including for reusable and refillable packaging. These solutions should not require the heavy hand of government to be successful in the market.

Our nation’s economy thrives when private industry has the right to choose how to tackle these hard-to-address issues in a way that provides realistic, affordable, and attractive solutions to both consumers and businesses. Otherwise, these ideas simply won’t survive.

Again, I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and I look forward to hearing their testimony.