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[GreenYes] Re: Recycling to be mandatory? Compromise bill may bevoted on soon in House


Interesting observations, Pete.

My conclusion is that it is inconsistent to ban disposal without, at the same time, mandating recycling. And also these measures have no effect without enforcement.

The missing element, I found in a survey of disposal bans in British Columbia a couple years ago, is PUBLIC INFORMATION. Most of the rules exist on the books only, but do not become part of the community culture because the public doesn't know about them.

Our regional government is expanding and stepping up enforcement of bans - and committing resources to public information about the programs. Here we have a lot to learn from the state of California, which is really good at catchy TV ads. Darryl Young showed audiences in Australia some great ads promoting the CA bottle bill. It has to be really catchy and at the same time preachy: like anti-smoking campaigns?

Helen.

At 08:14 AM 7/17/2007, Pete Pasterz wrote:
Helen--
 
I don't agree that bans and collection mandates necessarily lead to the same outcome...here in North Carolina, we have several banned items, but voluntary provision of recycling services by local communities, and voluntary citizen participation.  Those municipalities that don't provide service, or that provide inferior programs have a majority of the banned items still going to landfill.   Even in Mecklenburg County, which has [had] been an early leader in recycling and education programs, more materials, including banned ones like aluminum cans, go to the landfill than the MRF.   If there were some [any] enforcement of the bans, this may have the desired effect of directing the materials to a recycling stream...or to a roadside dump, depending on the incentives given to the generators.
 
So, the combination of bans and voluntary programs is not optimizing recycling here.  I'm not sure that mandates would necessarily change this, without also a framework for a better focus on economic and intrinsic incentives to generators.  The financial incentives don't necessarily need to be PAYT-type rewards/penalties, or RecycleBank coupons; they could also be product/packaging costs which reflect their impacts...
 
Pete Pasterz
Cabarrus County, NC


From: GreenYes@no.address [mailto:GreenYes@no.address] On Behalf Of Helen Spiegelman
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 6:40 PM
To: GreenYes@no.address
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: Recycling to be mandatory? Compromise bill may bevoted on soon in House
Importance: Low

I am interested in the dualism of "mandatory recycling" and "disposal bans" which lead to the same outcome. Does anyone have experience that compares the effectiveness of the two approaches?

Helen Spiegelman

At 08:52 AM 6/21/2007, Reindl, John 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 dvolturo@no.address.




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