RE: [greenyes] Funding Recycling with trash?

["Steve Bloom" <spbloom@no.address>]

	A perhaps obvious solution would be to increase the disposal surcharge proportional to
the decrease in the disposed tons.  This approach seems to have every advantage except
letting your local officials off the hook on a rate increase.  On the other hand, if the
total dollars collected don't increase (although perhaps they should, given the greater
marginal cost of diverting the remaining material), it could be argued that there really
hasn't been an increase.
	Any other answers you get may have application to the situation here in Alameda County
(CA), so I'd appreciate it if you would forward any off-list information you get.
	-- Steve Bloom (new to this list)


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Summit Recycling [mailto:recycle@no.address]
> Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 2:12 PM
> To: greenyes@no.address
> Subject: [greenyes] Funding Recycling with trash?
>
>
> Hello out there,
>
> We're a nonprofit recycler that (historically) receives some funding from an
> "environmental surcharge" placed on each ton of waste disposed of at the County
> operated landfill.
>
> We're grateful for any funding.  But, alas, trash volumes have begun to decline
> (due largely to a drop in construction in our resort community) while our
> recycling volumes continue to grow...so, we have a potential budget problem.
>
> The funding mechanism sends exactly the wrong message: throw more away and help
> fund your local nonprofit recycler!  There is no reward or value placed on
> increased diversion rates.   Fortunately, we are a mission-driven nonprofit -
> otherwise we could generate more funding for ourselves by bring heavy materials
> (glass) to the landfill.
>
> Does this funding method, based on actual tons of waste disposed, work for any
> other recyclers?
> Are there any examples of County-nonprofit funding arrangements that reward
> recycling rates?
>
> Thanks for your time!
>
> Carly Wier
> Executive Director
> Summit Recycling Project
> PO Box 4506
> Frisco, CO  80443
> (970) 668-5703 - phone
> (970) 668-2613 - fax
> recycle@no.address
> www.summitrecycling.org
>
>
>