[GreenYes] Re: Getting Haulers to Recycle More

[Helen Spiegelman <hspie@no.address>]

This is a very provocative question, and important.

The quandary, I think, is that haulers themselves have no economic 
incentive to recycle. Absent incentives, voluntary agreements seem like 
pushing a noodle. Requirements to "educate" will be hard to enforce. What 
are the performance standards to show they are complying ~ handing out a 
pamphlet? It seems common sense that if there is something in it for 
haulers, then they'll get customers to recycle. I think it has to go deeper 
than voluntary agreements and certification programs (the "certified" 
companies will lose business if they impose requirements on their customers 
that the competition doesn't).

My sense is that the right tool is the disposal ban. The haulers hate it, 
but so what. It is a simple and direct expression of society's values. If 
they can't adhere to it, they aren't part of society. Enforcing it on their 
customers is a cost of doing business.

Does any one disagree with this? On principle, I mean, rather than on the 
basis that "they won't like it".

H.



At 10:17 AM 3/1/2007, Brewer, Gretchen (DEP) wrote:

>MassDEP is conducting a brief informal survey of states, counties and 
>municipalities that regulate, permit, or have voluntary agreements with 
>solid waste and recycling haulers aimed at getting haulers and their 
>customers, especially commercial generators, to recycle more.  What are 
>the requirements or choices haulers have within these models relative to: 
>outreach and education to customers on recycling requirements; providing 
>incentives (such as rebates and revenue/profit sharing based on commodity 
>sales); reporting to customers and/or agencies on amounts recycled, 
>composted, or trashed; providing recycling services (such as parallel 
>access); and any other thoughts.  We are currently working on exploring 
>the possibility of a voluntary certification program for haulers and these 
>examples would be helpful for us.  Thanks.
>
>Gretchen Brewer
>Bureau of Waste Prevention
>Planning & Evaluation
>MassDEP
>One Winter St, 8 fl
>Boston, MA  02108
>617-654-6594
>
>
>
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