Consulting Group Develops Strategy for Florida to Reach Recycling Goal

Kessler Consulting Inc. (KCI), a Tampa, Fla.-based consulting firm, has released a report that discusses steps the state of Florida could take to reach its statewide goal of a 75 percent recycling rate.
 
However, the state also has prepared a report on steps that the state can take to reach that level.
 
The recycling goal was set as part of the state’s 2008 energy bill (HB 7135), which set the recycling goal of 75 percent – the highest rate of any state. While the goal is ambitious, the state notes that up to now it has been unable to achieve a 30 percent recycling rate.
 
The Kessler report, “The Greening of Florida: A Solid Waste Management Roadmap,” provides a recommended strategy for reaching that goal. The company says it spent two years working on the report. As part of the project the consulting group researched effective programs implemented by other states to boost their recycling rates.
 
The report was funded through a grant by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to the city of Tallahassee.
 
While the state came out with its own recommendations, Kessler hopes that the state will incorporate some of the suggestions put forward in its report.
 
Several state programs that were deemed worth pursuing include disposal bans, which both Massachusetts and Wisconsin used to reach high diversion rates. KCI also notes that more than half the states have levied a surcharge on waste that is disposed of in the state. Money from that surcharge is used to support recycling and has helped a number of states to increase recycling rates. Another program discussed in the report is product stewardship, noting the success of bottle bills.
 
Another section that could be worth following up on is focusing on growing the opportunities with recycling construction and demolition waste.
 
In releasing the report, KCI notes that just setting a recycling goal does not ensure success. “It must be backed by public policy that spurs recycling and establishes consequences for not achieving the goal,” says Mitch Kessler, president of KCI. “Reaching 75 percent recycling will require a massive effort and significant adjustments in how we manage solid waste.”
 
While there are some similar suggestions between the Kessler report and the report produced by the DEP, a representative from Kessler says that the state is looking at areas such as renewable energy as a step to attain the 75 percent level.
 
“Our report and recommendations are far more progressive,” a spokeswoman for Kessler says.
 
To reach the goal, Kessler continues, there needs to be a cohesive, cooperative approach among the state, local government, and private industry that addresses the need for funding, regulation, and behavioral change.