Title: [GreenYes] RE: Recycling to be mandatory?
Wisconsin had a law that those communities that did not reach 25% recycling would have to adopt PAYT.
But the law was repealed due to concerns about the ability of local governments to administer PAYT, the level of effectiveness of PAYT, and the problems that such systems cause (such as households putting waste in commercial or industrial dumpsters). Also, it was noted that households generate only a small portion of the waste produced in our state -- most waste is from business and industry.
To help pay for recycling, our state has placed a fee on landfills to cost sharing with local recycling programs. In addition, because of the economies of scale, some communities have found that recycling is cheaper than landfilling.
John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jenny Gitlitz [mailto:jenny.gitlitz@no.address]
> Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:21 PM
> To: GreenYes@no.address
> Cc: Reindl, John
> Subject: Re: [GreenYes] Re: Recycling to be mandatory? Compromise bill
> may be voted on soon in House
>
>
> Here in Masshacusetts, mandatory recycling cannot be
> promoted at the state
> level because of the prohibition on unfunded local mandates.
> Unenforceable
> waste bans are a sorry alternative! Pay As You Throw (PAYT) garbage
> collection is what should be mandated: but to do it at the
> local level is to
> repeat small political battles hundreds of times over, with mayors'
> political futures always hanging in the balance...
>
> Does anyone know of PAYT mandated at the state level?
>
> --Jenny Gitlitz
> Dalton, MA
>
> On 6/21/07 11:52 AM, "Reindl, John" <Reindl@no.address> wrote:
>
> > This is great news ! Wisconsin has had mandatory recycling
> in place since the
> > early 1990's and, while not perfect, it has worked very
> well. Without
> > mandatory recycling, I doubt that we would have the
> economies of scale for
> > either collection, processing, or marketing.
> >
> > Best wishes,
> >
> > John Reindl
> > Dane County, WI
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: GreenYes@no.address
> [mailto:GreenYes@no.address]On Behalf Of
> > RicAnthony@no.address
> > Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 10:17 AM
> > To: GreenYes@no.address
> > Subject: [GreenYes] Recycling to be mandatory? Compromise
> bill may be voted on
> > soon in House
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Published: Jun 19, 2007 - 11:19:49 pm EDT
> > Recycling to be mandatory? Compromise bill may be voted on
> soon in House
> > By Drew Volturo, Delaware State News
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > DOVER -- Lawmakers pushing two separate curbside
> residential recycling bills
> > have reached a compromise on legislation that would be
> mandatory and charge a
> > $3 per ton assessment on solid waste.
> >
> > The measure, a combination of two bills that had their
> supporters and
> > detractors, was being shopped around Legislative Hall
> Tuesday and could find
> > its way to the House of Representatives floor for a vote soon.
> >
> > "We have been doing voluntary recycling for several years
> and can't get much
> > above 15 percent (participation among residents)," said
> Rep. Pamela S. Maier,
> > R-Newark, who is sponsoring the compromise legislation.
> >
> > "I don't want folks to be afraid of the word 'mandatory,'
> which always raises
> > red flags."
> >
> > Rep. Maier originally sponsored a bill that would mandate
> curbside residential
> > recycling, while Gov. Ruth Ann Minner backed legislation
> calling for voluntary
> > recycling and setting up a $3 per ton assessment.
> >
> > The compromise measure incorporates many of the tenets of
> the Minner-backed
> > legislation, including the assessment, which would create a
> fund to help with
> > startup costs associated with recycling programs, and the
> establishment of
> > recycling goals.
> >
> > Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
> John A. Hughes said
> > his department could live with the mandatory recycling
> bill, but he prefers
> > the original voluntary measure because it would be more palatable to
> > legislators and residents.
> >
> > "We agree with getting recycling started, planting the
> seeds," Mr. Hughes
> > said.
> >
> > "We will reach the point when the majority of people see
> how well recycling
> > functions and the costs are balanced out by large-scale
> participation."
> >
> > Then, Mr. Hughes said, adopting a mandatory system would be less
> > controversial.
> >
> >
> > He noted that his hometown of Rehoboth Beach has
> implemented voluntary
> > curbside recycling through Delaware Solid Waste Authority
> and many of his
> > neighbors already have signed up for the program.
> >
> > Mr. Hughes said he is concerned that mandatory recycling
> might not pass, and
> > the voluntary proposal might end up on the cutting room
> floor as well.
> >
> > Clean Air Council community outreach director James Black
> said he would have
> > preferred a mandatory recycling bill without the
> assessment, which is
> > estimated to cost the average household 38 cents a month.
> >
> > "Mandatory recycling is not as much of a problem as it used
> to be because
> > people realize to reach the goals we set, it has to be
> mandatory," Mr. Black
> > said.
> >
> > "It's better to have a compromise bill now because every
> year we wait, the
> > trash in the landfills is going to pile that much higher."
> >
> > But Delaware Solid Waste Authority CEO Pasquale "Pat"
> Canzano said not
> > establishing the assessment while requiring recycling
> creates an unfunded
> > mandate, which often is difficult to meet.
> >
> > "(The bill) provides the ability for public and private
> entities to apply for
> > grants for recycling programs, which should increase the
> amount of recycling,"
> > Mr. Canzano said.
> >
> > Under the legislation, a recycling fund would be
> established and financed by a
> > $3 per ton assessment on all solid waste -- excluding
> recyclables -- collected
> > and/or disposed of in Delaware.
> >
> > That money, Deputy DNREC Secretary David Small said, would
> be available to
> > private companies, municipalities and community
> organizations as startup funds
> > for recycling programs and could be used to purchase
> equipment, such as a
> > truck or recycling containers.
> >
> > Once a local government reaches a recycling rate of 30
> percent, it would not
> > be assessed the $3 a ton surcharge.
> >
> >
> > "At some point, around 30-40 percent recycling, towns would
> be saving enough
> > in tipping and disposal fees to cover recycling costs," Mr.
> Small said.
> >
> > But how would the mandatory component of the legislation be
> enforced?
> >
> > Rep. Robert J. Valihura Jr., R-Wilmington, a sponsor of the
> original voluntary
> > recycling bill and co-sponsor of the compromise measure,
> said there are
> > mechanisms in place to ensure the program's success.
> >
> > Refuse brought to a landfill already is inspected for
> contraband, asbestos and
> > other contaminants. If trash haulers start bringing in
> refuse with too many
> > recyclables, the landfills would reject the loads and could
> fine the haulers,
> > Rep. Valihura said.
> >
> > DSWA and DNREC, he said, would develop the exact process.
> >
> > The measure carries the goal of increasing Delaware's
> recycling from 15
> > percent to 30 percent recycling by 2010 and 51 percent by 2015.
> >
> > Post your opinions in the Public Issues Forum at newszap.com.
> >
> > Staff writer Drew Volturo can be reached at 741-8296 or
> > <mailto:dvolturo@no.address> dvolturo@no.address
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _____
> >
> > See what's free at AOL.com
<http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503> .
>
>
>
>
>
> >
>
|