[Del. Gov.] Markell Proposes Statewide Curbside Recycling, At No Additional Cost

[Alan Muller]

For Release: Immediately
Contact: Brian Selander 302-252-7860

 
Markell Proposes Statewide Curbside Recycling
For All In Delaware, At No Additional Cost

Proposal Would Change Bottle Deposit System

 
Gov. Jack Markell Tuesday announced a “universal recycling” proposal to bring curbside recycling to every home and business in Delaware without putting an additional cost to consumers.
 
“The plan I’m putting forward is comprehensive and practical, designed to dramatically increase recycling, reduce burdens on businesses, create jobs and restrain waste costs,” Gov. Markell said.
 
Under the framework announced by the Governor:
 
·         All private waste haulers and municipalities would be required to provide curbside recycling service, including a dedicated recycling container and collection at least once every other week. Households and businesses would not be mandated to recycle, but they would have a recycling container and pickup provided to them.
 
·         The current 5-cent-per-bottle returnable bottle deposit would be modernized and transitioned over time to a 2-cent-per-bottle fee. This fee would only apply to beverage containers currently covered by the bottle deposit. The fee would no longer be a returnable deposit and retailers would no longer be required to collect returned bottles.  The revenue from the bottle fee would go to help haulers and municipalities with the startup costs of curbside recycling, including helping with the purchasing of recycling containers for homeowners, new vehicles, and other recycling infrastructure.
 
·         The increase in recycling and corresponding reduction in solid waste needing to be landfilled would mean savings to haulers and municipalities from the money they would need to pay the Delaware Solid Waste Authority for use of landfills. This cost avoidance, plus the assistance with startup costs funded through the bottle fee, is expected to make universal recycling cost-neutral to consumers
 
“The modernized bottle bill will not only continue to fulfill its original purpose of keeping bottles out of the trash, but it will provide the means to increase recycling of all materials over the next several years,” Gov. Markell said. “Making recycling convenient and available to every household in the state is a goal that has long been sought, but the cost has always been prohibitive. However, we believe it is now achievable for no more than consumers will already be paying for trash service, by combining it with the change to the bottle bill.”
 
Gov. Markell made the announcement from a conference room with a view of the Cherry Island landfill, which will receive less trash if recycling is increased in Delaware. The announcement was attended by representatives of number of groups with a stake in recycling and the bottle bill who are supportive of the Governor’s concept, including municipalities, waste haulers, food retailers, recycling advocates and legislators.
 
Other aspects of the proposal include:
 
·         The Delaware Solid Waste Authority would transition out of the business of curbside recycling, which it currently subsidizes at a level between $6 million and $10 million annually. While not preventing the current proposed tipping fee increase, this reduced cost would reduce the need for future increases. A need for future landfill expansion and possible reduction or elimination of the drop-off recycle program would provide additional cost reduction.
 
·         Private waste haulers and municipalities would be provided a target for recycling rates and would face a penalty for not meeting their target. Along with lowering their landfilling costs, these targets would provide haulers and municipalities a reason to aggressively encourage recycling among their customers.
 
·         The Recycling Public Advisory Council, which exists by executive order, would be established in code and provided the role of measuring and monitoring the recycling rates among haulers and municipalities.
 
·         Once fully implemented, the proposal for universal recycling has the potential to create jobs in Delaware.  Additional collection by waste haulers and municipalities may create the need for an additional 150 to 200 new jobs and another 100 to 200 jobs could be created by the increased demand for separating and sorting recycled materials.
 
·         The bottle deposit is proposed to be converted to a fee in 2010, with the universal recycling requirement taking effect for haulers and municipalities to be determined, though no sooner than late 2011 or early 2012.
 
“This plan for universal recycling is a significant step forward for our state, solving the challenge of offering recycling at their home to everyone in the state, without any additional cost above what they will already be paying to throw out all their trash,” Gov. Markell said. “Now, our plan will be to work with all those I’ve mentioned to create the legislation needed, present it to the General Assembly and to bring universal recycling to Delaware.”
 
 

[John Reindl]

Hi Alan ~

This is interesting.

Wisconsin has had mandatory recycling for over a dozen materials since the mid-90's. The law covers all generators, all the time. Thus, it is not just households, but it includes businesses, government offices, churches, schools, parks, etc. And it is not just the people who work at the establishments, but for customers too. While this program has worked very well (especially for households, less so for businesses), we in the recycling field still envy the much higher recovery rates for containers that states have when they have deposits on beverage containers. There has also been a cost for the program, but, an environmental economics/valuation study showed that there was a net benefit of $185 per ton of material recycled. (See the final report of the Governor's Task Force on Waste Materials Recovery and Disposal at http://wasteresources.wisconsin.gov/docview.asp?docid=10521&locid=83 )

For a very comprehensive report by our Legislative Fiscal Bureau on this program, go to the web page http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/Informationalpapers/67_solid%20waste%20recycling%20and%20waste%20reduction.pdf

Best wishes,

John

[Alan Muller]

Hi John.  Yes, it is interesting.  This came as a surprise to us--we had no input into it.  We don't know much about it yet--especially whether there is a thought-out, costed-out program behind this press release, or not.  I don't feel comfortable with the apparent phase out of container deposits.  Generally Markell is only responsive to business interests, but he knows how to lead the mainstream Delaware enviros around by the nose.

Alan

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[Rick Meyers]

What struck me the most was the statement that funds are intended to
cover startup costs only, yet the Gov. claims there will be no
additional cost to residents. Is there no support for the on-going
collection or processing costs? If not, what does the bottle-fee
money fund once all the startup costs are covered?

Rick Meyers
City of Milwaukee, WI

> ><http://wasteresources.wisconsin.gov/docview.asp?docid=10521&locid=83>http://wasteresources.wisconsin.gov/docview.asp?docid=10521&locid=83

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> >For a very comprehensive report by our
> >Legislative Fiscal Bureau on this program, go to
> >the web page

> ><http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/Informationalpapers/67_solid%20waste...>http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/Informationalpapers/67_solid%20waste...

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