Re: [GreenYes] Recycling economics

[eric@ecocycle.org (Eric Lombardi)]

Michele,

Why are European landfill rates so high?  Is it a pure market rate that
reflects a scarcity of landfills and/or extremely high land prices?  Or, as
I suspect, is it a reflection of a social policy to add "landfill use taxes"
of some sort?  If so, how much of these rates that you cite are market and
how much tax?

Eric Lombardi
Eco-Cycle

-----Original Message-----
From: Michele Raymond <michele@raymond.com>
To: Greenyes@grrn.org <Greenyes@grrn.org>
Date: Monday, August 05, 2002 9:42 AM
Subject: [GreenYes] Recycling economics


>
>Economics are difficult for recycling because landfilling is too cheap.
>
>Either:
>A. governments must see it as another service to be paid for
>B. landfill costs must rise
>
>Recycling is not a money-maker, unless your tip fees are high, or there is
>a big demand for the material.
>
>If landfills were designed to truly NOT leak in the future, then tip fees
>would be closer to $100/ton and  recycling would be more economic.
>
>In Europe, landfill tip fees are $100 - $300 a ton -- so even without the
>EPR mandates, there would be quite a bit of recycling, at least of the
>traditional materials and beverage containers.  Moreover, they have a
>landfill directive that will require a reduction of 75% of degradable waste
>going to landfills eventually -- pre-treatment will be required.
>
>Of interest, the latest amendments to the packaging directive indicate
>there needs to be some economic incentive for companies to use recycled
>plastics, and that governments need to start purchasing recycled products
>-- issues the US has been working on for a long time -- without the big
hammer.
>
>Cheers
>Michele Raymond
>
>Michele Raymond
>Publisher
>Recycling Laws International/ State Recycling Laws Update
>5111 Berwyn Rd. Ste 115 College Park, MD 20740)
>301/345-4237   Fax 345-4768
>http://www.raymond.com
>
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