EPA Releases Report on Nevada County Recycling

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a recycling report, Assessing the Potential for Resource Management in Clark County to Nevada officials and Republic Silver State, the county's contracted waste hauler. 

The EPA commissioned the study with the Tellus Institute after a February 2001 public recycling forum conducted by the EPA, state of Nevada, and the Clark County Health District.

Clark County has one of the lowest recycling rates in the nation. The report concludes that there are significant opportunities to increase both recycling rates and recycling revenues despite the fact that Clark County's current franchise agreement and solid waste ordinance provide little incentive to increase recycling.

Clark County’s recycling rate is 4 percent for residents, and 16 percent for commercial operations, bringing the overall recycling rate to around 11 percent in 2000.  That year Washoe County had a 23 percent recycling rate and western communities of comparable size had recycling rates ranging from 45 percent (Sacramento, Calif.)  to 48 percent (Phoenix, Ariz.).  Nevada has a recycling goal of 25 percent and EPA's recycling goal is 35 percent by 2005.

The report assess opportunities for resource management an innovative, market driven model that rewards contractors who help their customers divert materials from landfills and increase recycling rates.

Contractors are rewarded through performance bonuses and other contractual incentives funded from cost savings resulting from cost-effective diversion.

Based on public data and average commodity prices over an 8-year period, the report finds:

Using an RM approach, increasing the residential recycling rate in Clark County from 4 percent to 12 percent could create a net revenue benefit of over $2 million;