ISRI Statement on Averted Railroad Strike

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the Voice of the Recycling Industry™, after successfully advocating on behalf of the recycled materials industry, issued the following statement on the deal to avoid a rail strike:

“ISRI applauds the actions and negotiations that took place into the early morning hours that averted a railroad labor shutdown ahead of the Friday deadline,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener. “Rail service is vital to receiving and delivering recycled materials used in manufacturing, including the 70 percent of all U.S. produced steel which is made from recycled material. Every recycled material, from steel to aluminum, paper, copper, plastics, and glass, runs on the railway system.” 

ISRI efforts to avoid the rail strike included sending a letter yesterday (9/14/22) to key Congressional leaders involved in the issue that detailed the looming crisis to our national supply chain, economy and the essential services of the recycled materials industry.. This action was crucial as railroads were already notifying customers that they were no longer accepting rail cars in anticipation of a complete network shutdown.

About The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI): The ISRI is the "Voice of the Recycling Industry™." ISRI represents 1,300 companies in the U.S. and more than 40 countries that process, broker, and consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics, and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides education, advocacy, safety and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development. Generating nearly $117 billion annually in U.S. economic activity, the recycled materials industry provides more than 506,000 Americans with good jobs.