S 2110: REUSE Act of 2025

S 2110 in plain English: This bill is early in the legislative process and detailed text is not yet available. Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D) · Status: Held at the desk.

Stated purpose

This bill requires the EPA Administrator to produce a publicly available report within two years on the feasibility of and best practices for reuse and refill systems across various product sectors, such as food service, cleaning products, and shipping.

Arguments supporters make

• Reuse and refill systems can reduce packaging waste and pollution, and a government study helps identify the most practical paths forward.
• The report examines job creation opportunities, meaning expanded reuse systems could support workers in new or growing industries.
• Studying barriers and best practices from other states and countries gives policymakers real data before making larger policy decisions, avoiding costly mistakes.

Arguments opponents make

• This bill only requires a report, not any actual changes — critics may see it as government spending on a study with no guaranteed impact or follow-through.
• Businesses may be concerned that the report is a first step toward future regulations that would require costly overhauls of existing packaging and distribution systems.
• The scope of sectors covered is broad and vague, which could lead to an unfocused report that does not produce useful or actionable guidance.

Tradeoffs

The bill commits EPA resources to producing a study rather than direct action, trading immediate impact for a research-first approach; the report's findings could inform smarter future policy but could also be shelved without further legislative follow-up.

Current status in Congress: Passed Senate.

NewsClear — neutral news & congressional tracking · Bill of the Week