Statewide Recycling Expansion

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Statewide Recycling Expansion

• Presented to the Michigan Senate Committee of
  Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
• Senator Patty Birkholz, Chair
• April 25, 2006

Written by the Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation
Council 2005-2006
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Mission Statement
The focus of the Michigan 4-H Youth Conservation
Council is to encourage policymakers and
stakeholders at the state and county levels to
improve local recycling programs through
education, innovative strategies, and incentives.
This will be supported through revenue generating
sources to reduce the solid waste stream in
Michigan.
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Current Recycling Bills

• There are many bills regarding expansion of
  recycling currently in the Michigan Legislature.
  They include
• Senate Bill 771
• Adopts a 27 waste recycling volume by July 2009
• Senate Bill 256 and House Bill 4758
• Both set higher fees for waste entering landfills
• Senate Bill 28 and Senate Bill 159
• Both expand the bottle deposit law

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Legislation Signed into Law 2005-2006

• Senate Bill 79 sponsored by Senator Michel
  McManus. This law permits counties to impose a
  greater surcharge on tipping fees.
• Senate Bill 747 sponsored by Senator Judd Gilbert
  II. This new public act prohibits the disposal of
  bulk or non-containerized liquid waste.
• House Bill 5148 sponsored by Representative Phil
  Pavlov. This legislation provides for the
  permitting and operation of landfill Research,
  Development and Demonstration Projects (RDDPs).

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Liz Brater18th District

• Introduced legislation to require a solid waste
  surcharge on all landfill material
• Money from this would be used to
• Increase recycling in the state
• Decrease the amount of garbage outside of
  Michigans borders

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Raymond Basham8th District

• Supports improvements in conservation
• Supports expanding Michigans Bottle Deposit Law
  to include water bottles, juice bottles and other
  non-carbonated drink bottles

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Gretchen Whitmer23rd District

• Supports recycling expansion
• Supports redemption centers
• East Lansings Project Pride
• Recycle former Greyhound bus station into
• 21 condos
• 15 town houses
• about 9,000 square feet of retail space
• is expected to create 40 new jobs

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Redemption Center

• A Redemption Center is a private businesses that
  work with distributors to redeem bottles and cans
  with a deposit value.
• Michigan does not have a program for redemption
  centers.
• These centers could cost between 150,000 to
  200,000 it depends on what type.

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Redemption Center

• Redemption centers must be open to the at least
  of 20 hours per week 4 hours on the weekend
• Pick up should be at least weekly or even more
  depending on the center.
• 500 Sprite cans equals a box of nails, and 800
  Coca-Cola cans are worth a hammer.

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Materials Recovery Facility

• Material Recovery Facility known as MRF
  (pronounced murfs)
• Are factories that receive, sort, and prepare
  recyclables to sell to end-user manufacturers
• There are two types of MRFs clean MRFs and dirty
  MRFs

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Dirty MRF

• MRF Process
• Receive material that has not been sorted yet
• Separates the material manually and by machine
• Materials go through similar processes as they do
  in a clean MRF
• Materials are sent to end-market manufactures

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Clean MRF

• Process
• Receive materials that have already been sorted
• Items received
• Glass
• Steel
• Aluminum
• PET 1
• HDPE 2
• Here each material goes through a different
  process and then is shipped to end-market
  manufacturers

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Project Support

• Who is behind recycling?

• Organizations
• MUCC (Michigan United Conservation Clubs)
• BEAR (Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for
  Recycling)
• Major Companies
• Coca-Cola Company
• Anheuser Busch
• Pepsi Co.
• Other companies (with varying amounts of support)

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Project Support

• Financial support
• Major companies support may attract
  
• more participants
• Advertising
• Necessities for more support
• Incentive to companies
• Good marketing
• Compatible plans with the companies
• Types of Support
• Money donations
• Advocating and advertising our program

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Michigan Grocers Association (MGA)

• Are major stockholders in recycling
• They handle, sell, and often take back
  recyclables
• Grocers in Michigan are supported and represented
  by the citizens
• Michigan Grocers Association (MGA)- Are worried
  about below average recycling in Michigan.
• They Support
• Recycling with out bringing recyclables back into
  grocery stores
• Statewide comprehensive recycling programs such
  as curbside recycling

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What Other States Grocers Are Doing

• Massachusetts- The Massachusetts Food Association
  (MFA) signed a memorandum that will encourage
  grocery stores to increase their recycling
  participation.
• Arizona- In Phoenix grocery stores have started
  accepting plastic bags, which are becoming a
  major problem, for recycling.

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A Need for Recycling

• Many people dont have access to curbside or drop
  off recycling
• Some people lack the space to recycle
• Many people want to recycle, but dont want to
  have to do it
• Some citizens dont recycle because there is no
  reason to
• Most conservation clubs think its to difficult an
  issue
• Most people would prefer curbside pick up
• People dont want to pay for recycling

People create approximately 8.3 pounds of
household waste per day. Incentives encourage
people to recycle.
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Programs In Michigan
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Where Is Michigans Waste Stream Flows?
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What Other States Are DoingMaryland

• 35.8 recycling rate
• Utilize their internet resources to educate
  public, These resources being, demonstration
  sites on backyard composting, reuse practices and
  waste reduction
• Large statewide mandates that hold corporations
  accountable for their own recyclable waste.

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What other states are doingMaine

• US leading 49 statewide recycling rate
• Pay as you throw plan
• Bottle bill that includes all beverage
  containers, non-carbonated drinks, water, wine,
  are all redeemable
• Well educated public, government paid for
  educational pamphlets and classes

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What Other States Are DoingCalifornia

• 40.2 recycling rate
• Bag and tag program
• Almost identical to MI recycling tactics at the
  government level
• They are able to achieve such a high rate because
  many non-profit organizations take a leading role
• Everyone living there has bought into the system
  and have made a habit of recycling

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Recycling and the use of Mandates
Minnesota- A very successful state, with a
recycling rate of 45.6 as of January 2004. Does
not use a state mandate, rather set
recommendations on how the issue should be
approached and with a lot of cooperation from
people in the state they have been very
successful. Florida- Has a similar plan compared
to California, but also included a 30 increase
to recycling goals. However it was not entirely
successful as no county was able to reach the
desired numbers. Wisconsin- Set no recycling
goals at all. However they set a standard for a
recyclable collection measured in pounds per
person per year. Each person was expected to be
able to recycle 83.7 pounds per year, and this
fluctuated from county to county due to market
fluctuation. Wisconsin has a 24 recycling rate.
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Recycling and Waste Programs in Canada

• Stratford
• Current and Past Programs
• curbside recycling
• hazardous waste collection
• organics collection
• composting
• appliance recycling
• curbside exchanges
• community based educational programs
• Pay as You Waste
• Since the execution of this program, the city has
  experienced a
• 62 increase in recycling and a
• 35 reduction in residential garbage.

• Toronto
• Yellow Bag Program
• Launched in September 2002
• Reduces garbage
• Increases recycling and organic collection
• Creates a harmonized, fair service for businesses
  across the city
• Assists with the costs of garbage collection and
  disposal
• Cleans up the city's commercial streets

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Recycling and Waste Programs in Canada

• In the Blue Box Recycling program in Waterloo,
  Canada citizens can recycle plastic cans, empty
  aerosol cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum
  foil and trays, milk and juice cartons and boxes,
  newspapers, magazines, cardboard, including
  corrugated, boxboard, and plastic grocery and
  retail bags.

• These blue boxes are used in many cities in
  Canada
• In the Waterloo region alone, 370 tons of
  material has been recycled.
• That is more than one year of landfill space!

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Types Of Programs

• Communities that use a Bag N Tag which is
  similar to Pay system report that advantages over
  a can system include
• Lower start-up costs.
• More freedom and flexibility in changing the
  level of service.
• No billing system required.
• Easier to understand.
• The recovery levels for recycling being achieved
  in communities are at 35-50 percent and have
  implemented a range of supporting programs,
  including incentives and regulations.

Cans

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Types Of Programs
Curbside The recycling rate for Michigan today
is 20. The deposit rate for bottles is between
94 and 97 percent. Curbside programs only
accept No. 1 and No.2 plastic bottles (these
bottles include water, soda, other beverage
bottles, milk jugs and orange juice jugs). Some
county recycling programs dont accept the same
recyclables as others.
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Composting

• Composting is a great way to recycle your kitchen
  and yard waste!
• Things to compost can be
• Grass clippings/tea bags
• Coffee grounds
• Vegetables
• Banana peels
• Egg shells

Composting not only keeps waste out of the
landfills, but it produces a dark, rich, earthy
dirt that works as great fertilizer.
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Composting

• Conventional Tumbler
• Composting is generally free, but some prefer a
  tumbler or box which
• Compost pile inside box
• Keeps odors locked in
• Confines waste
• Tumbles and mixes waste
• Looks cleaner and neat
• But a tumbler box is not required to compost.
• http//wabashweb.com/germany/week8/frie-compost-la
  rge.jpg

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Waste Disposal (Landfills)

• Fiscal Year of 2004 Total disposal 64 million
  cubic yards.
• Fiscal Year of 2005 Total disposal 66 million
  cubic yards.
• Of this trash, 29 of the waste comes from other
  states and Canada
• Source State of Michigan and The Detroit News

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SOLID WASTE DISPOSED OF IN MICHIGAN
LANDFILLS (All Figures in Cubic Yards)
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Recycling made F-U-N!

• Maine has a Recycle Week for schools, this
  encourages the children and their parents to
  recycle
• Minnesota has implemented the Eureka Recycling
  program in order to educate their citizens about
  recycling and Minnesotas programs
• Michigan has a recycling program in Ann Arbor
  which services Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County

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Advertising

• Advertising is key to a successful
  program/business.
• Advertising is often the most costly part of any
  program
• Some advertising agencies will run an ad at
  little to no cost because it is a public
  service announcement

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Why Recycle?

• Because Michigan has the second highest
  unemployment rate it would be beneficial to look
  at North Carolina because we can learn a lot from
  their programs

• North Carolina has employed over 8,700 people due
  to their recycling programs.

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Portsmouth, New Hampshire

• Recycling is mandatory
• Requires the residence of Portsmouth City to
  recycle using 18-gallon green bins for trash,
  officially stamped by government.
• Larger bins, can only be a 32-gallon green bin,
  also officially stamped by government.
• City prohibits yard waste in bins
• City makes money by charging violators

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Recycling Incentives

• Pay As You Throw (PAYT)
• People pay a fee for throwing out their garbage.
• Charge is per bag
• It will make people more conscious of what they
  are throwing out.

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Cash Prizes

• Recycling Centers
• Every time a person goes to a recycling center
  they get entered into a drawing.
• There is a card that keeps track of when the
  person recycles items.
• Curbside
• If a person recycles the right materials, they
  get entered into a drawing.

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License Plates

• 15 Universities
• Agricultural Heritage
• Children
• Historic Lighthouses
• Salvation Army

• Veterans
• Water Quality
• Wildlife Habitat
• Northern Michigan Olympics Education Center
• American Red Cross

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Target Take Charge of Education

• 1 of purchases made at Target and Target.com,
  and 1/2 of Target Visa purchases made elsewhere
  are donated to schools nationwide
• More than 14.7 million during the recent
  September 2005 donation
• Since April 1997-over 154 million

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The Penny Plan

• Tax of 1 cent on most retail purchases
• Projected to raise 42 Million
• Supported by major Michigan retailers
• Also supported by major international
  corporation
• (Such as PepsiCo)

• Penny Plan Legislation
• 2005 House Bill 5163
• 2005 House Joint Resolution O
• Both versions leave necessities exempt from tax
• Penny plan is feasible possibility as long-term
  income
• source

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Surcharge

• Currently 21 cents per ton, Michigan is lowest
  rate in the Great Lakes Region
• Proposed increase to 7.50 per ton
• Increased surcharge would reduce the influx of
  out-of-state trash and provide an incentive to
  recycle.
• Surcharge would raise 130 million to bolster
  state and local recycling programs

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Bag and Tag (Pay-As-You-Throw)

• Charge on volume recycled
• Benefits-
• Increase amount recycled
• Decrease cost of waste removal
• Per Bag or Can
• Use special sticker or marked/colored bag
• Special incentive in communities

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Recommendation

• Set goal of 33
• Provide incentives to counties for success
• Develop educational materials (TV, radio, print)
• Fund through use of penny plan, credit cards,
  license plates, etc
• Increase surcharge on waste
• Implement pay-as-you-throw
• Counties may develop recycling collection systems
  with increased funding to accommodate increased
  recycling rate.

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Its effect is like that of a higher thought or
better emotion coming over me, when I deemed I
was thinking justly or doing right. Yet it is
certain that the power to produce this delight
does not reside in nature, but in man, or in a
harmony of both.-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thank you!