______________________________ Reply Separator=
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Subject: Mandatory Summary
Author: "david a. kirkpatrick" <dkirkwks@igc.org> at internet
Date: 3/4/97 8:31 AM
Correspondents -
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Many thanks to your messages on banning recyclables from landfills/=20
mandatory recycling. I presented your comments in "internet testimony"=20
at a city council meeting last night, as shown below.
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I would like to post this summary to greenyes/recycle@envirolink but I=
wanted=20
to get OKs from each of you. If you have any objections, rewording to the=
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text below, please email me by the end of the day Wednesday, March 5. That=
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night
I will post to those two listservs the approved version.
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Thanks again for your help -- internet/recycling advocacy support at its=
best!
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David Kirkpatrick
________________
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Durham City Council Public Hearing Testimony
Banning Recyclables from a New Landfill or Transfer Station
The First(?) Internet-Based Testimony for a Durham Hearing From Around the=
US
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Submitted by David Kirkpatrick, Durham Environmental Affairs Board=20
Monday, March 3, 1997
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Message posted to an internet email list for recycling practitioners:
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"Durham, NC is considering enacting a ban on recyclables from its new=20
landfill or transfer station. Curbside recycling is now provided weekly for=
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News, Glass, Aluminum Cans and Foil, Steel Cans, PET bottles, HDPE bottles,=
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OCC, Aseptic packages, and Magazines. More than a dozen drop-off centers=20
are provided for the same commodities. Commercial collections of Glass and=
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OCC are provided by the city, with other commodities collected by private=20
recyclers. The city has a population of 155,000 and the entire county of=20
200,000.
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"The logic for the ban is that the entire community should share the=20
responsibility for reducing waste if one neighborhood has to shoulder the=20
burden of a new landfill. The ban could be implemented by a three month=20
education campaign, followed by warning tickets on refuse containers=20
containing targeted recyclables, followed by non-collection of containers=20
with targeted recyclables, followed by actual tickets and fines.
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"My questions for list members are: What percentage increases in tonnages=
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and participation rates have your communities seen when instituting=20
mandatory recycling? Have there been any articles or studies of the impact=
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of instituting mandatory recycling/landfill bans? What feedback do you have=
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on best ways to educate/ encourage/ enforce?
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"Thanks in advance for any feedback,
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David Kirkpatrick"
Dkirkwks@igc.org
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Summaries of all responses:
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"We conducted a voluntary pilot program in Madison that had participation=20
rates in the 70-75% range depending on the neighborhood. When our program=
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went mandatory it went up to 92% and is currently at 97%.
"I think the landfill ban is a good way to go. It is what we use here and=
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it seems to work.
"Enforcement is a tough one. In Madison we have yet to issue a ticket. In=
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fact it is not really clear who would issue them. I'd suggest that one=20
place you will need enforcement is at the landfill/transfer station.
"It is a fine line between wise enforcement at turning people off. We have=
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chosen to walk away from the issues as diversion and participation remain=20
high. We continue to educate=85"
George Drechmann, Recycling Coordinator, Madison, Wisconsin
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"When the mandatory separation requirement went into effect in San Diego the=
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participation jumped from 30 - 40% to 80 -90 %=85
"They used a coordinated approach with logo, colors and slogan and various=
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media releases, press conferences wards, events=85
"Our reaction in a urban southern California coastal population was across=
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the board ( single family, multi family, commercial and industrial=20
generators) would separate if it was convenient e.g., at the regular trash=
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area; and made sense=85"
Richard Anthony, California Resource Recovery Association Board member
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"The stakeholders (in Halifax, Nova Scotia) set out an ambitious goal of=20
75-88% diversion based on aggressive recycling, comprehensive backyard=20
composting and source separated central composting and C&D diversion. =85=
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"A wide range of recyclables have been banned from landfill and during the
next year all organics will be banned. =85 The minimum diversion is 50% and=
I=20
believe we will exceed that=85
"So, with all of this attention on alternatives, the Halifax region has=20
moved from a 4% (recyclables) diversion range four years ago to 25% today =
=96=20
and that does not yet include organics diversion which will come over the=20
next 9 months.
"Our conclusion therefore is that bans work. They are driving the strategy=
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at this stage. Considering we narrowly avoided an incineration solution=20
(effectively accounting for one third of the province), we have made a major=
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change of attitude and opinion."
Peter J. Kidd, Learning Materials Consulting Services, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
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"In my past research documenting record-setting programs, I found that the=
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majority of communities with 40% or higher recycling levels had mandatory=20
programs. See ILSR's "Beyond 40 Percent: Record-Setting Recycling and=20
Composting Programs" and EPA's "Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Composting=
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Options: Lessons Learned from 30 U.S. Communities" (produced by ILSR).=
Other=20
factors, of course, are important in spurring high participation and=
recycling=20
levels: providing convenient collection service (such as curbside and=20
drop-off, providing bins), targeting a wide range of materials for=
collection,=20
establishing economic incentives (such as volume-based trash fees), and=20
undertaking comprehensive educational and promotional activities." Brenda=20
Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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"New York City on educate/encourage/enforce (mandatory recycling through):=
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Radio, television and newspaper public service announcements. Community=20
newsletters, letters to community groups. House to house, door to door=20
delivery of flyers. Telephone numbers for local contacts and inquires.=20
Violation warnings. Fines."
Horace Morancie, General Services Administration, New York
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"In 1991 Dane County, Wisconsin banned recyclables from the landfill it=20
operated. We did before and after waste sorts and estimated a 22% diversion=
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rate. The study was published in the 4/93 issue of Resource Recycling."=
Peter=20
Anderson, RecycleWorlds Consulting
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KirkWorks
good works for the good earth
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Address: Post Office Box 15062
Durham, NC 27704-0062
Voice: 919/220-8065
Fax: 919/220-9720
Email: dkirkwks@igc.org
Website: http://www.kirkworks.com
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