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Recycling and Solid Waste

During the past decade, the national recycling rate (including composting) has climbed to 27%. Hundreds of communities have surpassed this level. Dozens report waste reduction levels above 50%. What features are common to these successful programs? It is usually a combination of good rules that together help to achieve a high rate of recycling. Some of these strategies include:

  • targeting a wide range of materials for recovery (yard trimmings, multiple paper grades, construction and demolition waste),
  • encouraging or requiring participation (by using such strategies as making programs convenient, enacting madates, and instituting pay-as-you-throw trash programs),
  • ofering service to multi-family dwellings
  • augmenting curbside collection with drop-off collection.

This section features cities and states whose combination of regulations have created a successful recycling program, as well as model rules that can be used to improve one's overall recycling program.

Beverage Container Recycling

A unique coalition of industry, governmental agencies and environmental organizations released a study in January 2002 that, for the first time, provides baseline statistics on the costs, benefits and effectiveness of programs to recover discarded beverage containers for recycling. Understanding Beverage Container Recycling: A Value Chain Assessment is the final report of the Multi-Stakeholder Recovery Project, Stage One. Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling (BEAR), a project of Global Green USA, launched the initiative in 2001 as an effort to bring together long-standing opponents in the battle over different approaches to recycling in a fact-based approach to public policy making.

Project participants included The Coca-Cola Company, Waste Management, Inc., Beaulieu of America, Tomra North America, Southeastern Container, the GrassRoots Recycling Network and the Container Recycling Institute. The report was prepared by a research consulting team comprising R.W. Beck, Inc., Franklin Associates, Ltd., the Tellus Institute and Sound Resource Management Group. Research was coordinated by the project manager, Boisson & Associates.

The report is a snapshot of U.S. programs as they operated in 1999. The report contrasts the effectiveness of different programs in detail, and verifies that deposit systems recover the highest percentage of discarded containers, followed by municipal curbside programs and residential drop-off programs. The report does not attempt to address important implementation questions regarding new or expanded recycling systems. The report also shows the environmental advantages of recycling containers. "We documented several key benefits in this collaborative process, for example, beverage container recycling saved about 147 trillion BTU in 1999, that's equivalent to over 32 million barrels of oil," said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA.

Project participants agreed that there is a need to continue fact-based, collaborative discussions and will invite additional stakeholders to participate. Future efforts are likely to concentrate on addressing stakeholder concerns about different policies. One key issue is the need for aggressive market development initiatives to minimize potential market volatility associated with increasing recovery.

Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling

In 1996 an estimated 136 million tons of debris was generated from building, renovation and demolition projects across the United States. Construction and demolition (C&D) debris includes bricks, concrete, masonry, soil, lumber, paving materials, shingles, glass, plastics, aluminum, steel, drywall, insulation, roofing materials, plumbing fixtures, electrical materials, siding, packaging and tree stumps. Through deconstruction and recovery, much of this material can be diverted from landfills and reused.

Recovery and deconstruction support community development with environmental, economic, and social benefits, including:

  • Reducing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for landfilling and incineration
  • Conserving energy and natural resources
  • Creating job training and employment opportunities, including self-employment and small business development
  • Providing materials to used building materials stores and value-adding manufacturing enterprises
  • Retaining the historical significance of buildings.

Communities can encourage the recycling of materials by making recovery part of the permitting process. A number of communities have passed local ordinances requiring recovery of C&D materials. In 1996, Portland Oregon passed an ordinance requiring job-site recycling on all construction projects with a value exceeding $25,000. In 1999, Atherton, California passed an ordinance that requires all construction, renovation and demolition projects to divert fifty percent of waste from landfills. Within the city, all buildings slated for demolition are made available for deconstruction. The city of Chicago will also have a mandatory 50 percent recycling rate for C&D by 2007.

Initiatives on the state level are also underway. in early 2001, Massachusetts included a ban on recylcable C&D debris from landfills in its proposed Solid Waste Management Plan.

Electronic Waste Recycling - e-Waste

The proper handling and disposal of computer related equipment is critical to environmental protection. According to the Computer Take Back Campaign, hundreds of millions of computers will soon become obselete. These devices contain a selection of hazardous materials including lead, mercury and cadmium that must be handled with care to protect people and the environment. At this point, less than 10% of discarded computers are currently recycled.

As of March 2006, four states have taken action to encourage e-Waste recycling. Of the four laws, it appears that Washington will have the most far reaching and comprehensive rules. [click for a quick comparison of the four state rules]

Zero Waste

The national recycling rate (including composting) is hovering around 30 percent. Hundreds of communities have surpassed this level and dozens report waste reduction levels above 50 percent. More can and will be done to decrease the amount of materials in our waste streams. Increasing numbers of cities, counties, states and private businesses are making commitments and goals towards "zero waste."

Ther Zero Waste International Alliance provides a definition of the term, "Zero Waste is a goal that is both pragmatic and visionary, to guide people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health."


More Information:

Rules

Zero Waste - Oakland, CA

  • Local
    • Oakland, California (pop. 400,000) passed a zero waste resolution on March 7, 2006. The city directed its public works department to come up with a strategic plan to meet the zero waste goal by 2020. More

    Auto Manufacturer Take Back Law - Maine

  • State
    • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a growing approach to recycling and waste reduction.  In May 1997, the state of Maine started considering actions to control mercury emissions and discharges in response to increasing evidence of unhealthy levels of mercury in the Maine environment. After a series of detailed reports which identified sources and recommended specific actions, the state enacted a law in April 2002 titled "An Act to Prevent Mercury Emissions when Recycling and Disposing of Motor Vehicles." [click for full text]. More

    Litter Tax on Fast Food and Convenience Stores - Oakland, CA

  • Local
    • In February 2006 the City of Oakland, California passed ordinance 12727, which enacts a fee on fast-food restaurants, gas stations, and convenience markets to cover litter and trash clean up.  The fee is expected to raise $237,000 a year, which will be used solely to fund the clean up program.  The ordinance is intended to discourage the use of disposable products such as candy wrappers, food containers, and paper napkins. "A city is judged by how clean it is, and Oakland definitely has a major litter problem. It's time to clean up", said Councilwoman Brunner, who proposed the ordinance. More

    Electronic Waste Recycling - Maryland

  • State
    • This is a five year pilot program (expires 2010). Producers pay a $5000 registration fee per year to the state's recycling fund (or $500 in yrs 2-5 if they have instituted a takeback program. If counties set up computer collection/recycling programs, they can apply to the state recycling fund for grants to offset some costs. More

    Electronic Waste Recycling - Maine

  • State
    • Maine's e-Waste law passed in 2003 represents a partnership between the private sector, the public sector and consumers. The legislature wrote in the law that "the purpose of this section is to establish a comprehensive electronics recycling system that ensures the safe and environmentally sound handling, recycling and disposal of electronic products and components and encourages the design of electronic products and components that are less toxic and more recyclable." More

    Electronic Waste Recycling - California

  • State
    • The California Electronic Waste and Recycling Act of 2003 places an advanced recycling fee on the sale of new computer monitors, TVs, and laptop computers to fund a statewide recovery and end-of-life processing system for obsolete electronics. These products contain hazardous substances that can be dangerous if not disposed of properly. For example, computer monitors contain lead that can leach into groundwater if they are dumped in an ordinary landfill. More

    Electronic Waste Recycling - Washington

  • State
    • In March 2006, the state of Washington passed an electronics recycling bill that requires manufacturers to finance the collection, transportation and recycling of old computers, monitors and televisions. With the implementation of this new "producer takeback" rule, Washington will become the fourth state to enact electronics recycling legislation (see more states here). More

    Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling - Chicago, IL

  • Local
    • On December 15th, 2004 the City of Chicago approved a new construction and demolition recycling requirement. The new rules will take effect in March 2006. The initial requirement for recycling will be 25 percent of all recyclable materials measured by weight for projects permitted after March 1, 2006. This will be increased to 50 percent after January 1, 2007. More

    Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling - Atherton, CA

  • Local
    • In 1999, Atherton, California passed an ordinance that requires all construction, renovation and demolition projects to divert fifty percent of waste from landfills (Section 15.52.040). Within the city, all buildings slated for demolition are made available for deconstruction (Section 15.52.030). Also, permits for construction or demolition require a deposit of $50 per ton of waste to be generated (Section 15.52.060), to be returned once the job and related resource recovery are complete. More

    Cutting the Waste Stream in Half

  • Local

    • These case studies- Fitchburg, WI, Portland OR, and Seattle, WA, were conducted by ILSR for the US Environmental Protection Agency, and are part of a larger study called Cutting the Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How (download full report or fact sheet packet). Each case study presents that city's recycling strategies as well as the laws and policies from which the strategies derive. More

    Ban on Non-Refillable Bottles

  • International
    • The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (pop. 136,000), pursuant to the Litter Control Regulations under the Environment Protection Act, all flavoured carbonated beverages must be sold in refillable bottles. banned non-refillable soft drink bottles in 1977, and soft drink cans in 1984. The island's government decided that in addition to preventing litter on the beautiful resort island and avoiding the use of plastics, the ban would preserve a local bottling business and the associated jobs. The island also had a local glass recycling plant but no local aluminum recycling plant. More

    Refillable Beverage Containers - Model Policies

  • State
    • Refillable beverage containers are generally considered environmentally preferable to one-way containers - containers designed for a single use. Yet, for decades, their use has dwindled in the United States, to the point where refillables make up 5 to 7% of beer and soft drink containers. At the same time, American drink producers have maintained or re- introduced refillable containers in Europe and elsewhere. Many Canadian provinces promote refillables too. All beer and soft drinks produced in Prince Edward Island, for instance, are in refillable glass bottles. More

    Beverage Container Deposit - Model System

  • State

    • A 2002 report on beverage container recycling suggests that we can double recovery of beverage containers - and save money at the same time. These are the findings of Understanding Beverage Container Recycling: A Value Chain Assessment, a study carried out under the watchful eyes of both beverage industry and environmental representatives.

    This ground-breaking study is the first accomplishment of the Multi-Stakeholder Recovery Project (MSRP), a project of Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling (BEAR). BEAR works under Global Green USA to pursue a 'fact-based approach to public policy making' in order to break through the traditional impasse between supporters and opponents of so-called 'bottle bills.' More

    Hazardous Waste Tax

  • State

    • A hazardous waste tax is assessed on generators when the waste is shipped, or when facilities recycle, treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste. The tax is based on the quantity of of the hazardous waste and its ultimate destination (e.g., whether it is destined for recycling, treatment, or land-disposal.)

    Vermont has by far the highest tax rates on hazardous waste. As of 1995, waste generators pay a $.44/gal liquid or $112/ton solid waste disposal fee for land disposal, a $.33/gal liquid or $84/ton solid waste disposal fee for long term storage, a $.22/gal liquid or $56/ton solid waste disposal fee on waste blended, treated, or chemically treated, and a $.11/gal liquid or $28/ton fee solid waste disposal fee on reclaimed or recycled waste. More

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