Indiana governor signs recycling bill into law

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has signed into law House Bill 1183, which seeks to put in place policies that will result in recycling levels in the state to increase to 50 percent.

The law, authored by Rep. David Wolkins, requires every recycler that recycles materials generated by two or more persons to report to the commissioner of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) on the recycling activities conducted by the recycler.

The bill also allows a recycler the option of reporting annually or quarterly and allows certain persons who are not subject to the reporting requirement, including those who recycle materials other than municipal waste, to report voluntarily.

Following the reporting of the recycling to the IDEM, the commissioner will be able to post on the department’s website a uniform recycling activity report form to be used in making the recycling activity reports.

The law also requires the commissioner to submit an annual written report summarizing the information obtained through the recycling activity reports submitted to the commissioner, while establishing a state goal of recycling at least 50 percent of all municipal solid waste. The law also urges the legislative council to assign to the appropriate study committee, for the 2014 interim period, the task of producing a written report setting forth the committee's analysis of a number of recycling-related subjects.