Delaware Governor Jack Markell has announced a proposal to offer curbside recycling to every residence and business within the state without adding any additional cost to the consumer.
“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,” 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.”
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.”