Wisconsin Groups Make Case for Recycling

More than 150 municipalities, businesses and organizations in Wisconsin have joined to call for the restoration of local recycling requirements and state cost share funding in the state’s proposed budget. The letter was written and circulated by the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW), the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Badger Chapter, the Wisconsin Counties Solid Waste Management Association (WCSWMA) and the Wisconsin Council on Recycling.

The letter notes that state financial assistance for local recycling programs has come not from general fund tax dollars, but from the segregated Recycling and Renewable Energy Fund. Monies for this fund are provided by the $7-per-ton “recycling fee” that is assessed on solid waste disposal in Wisconsin. While this fee would continue to be collected under the proposed budget, the Recycling and Renewable Energy Fund would be eliminated in favor of a new “economic development” fund, with no funds allocated to local recycling programs.

Supporters of recycling argue that it plays a significant role in Wisconsin’s economy and its continued economic development. “As such, the state should continue to place a high priority on successful local collection programs, the businesses that use recyclable materials in manufacturing and the thousands of Wisconsin workers employed at these businesses,” according to a press release issued by the associations that prepared the letter.

According to AROW President Jennifer Semrau, “The recycling process turns something that would have been trash into a useful product while providing feedstock for manufacturing, creating jobs and adding value. That is economic development, and it is working in Wisconsin.” She adds, “The governor’s proposed budget cuts to recycling could threaten the essential material supply chain of recyclables to manufacturers.”

The market value of the roughly 400,000 tons of paper and containers collected each year from residences in Wisconsin was worth more than $40 million at 2010 average market prices, according to the associations.

“Essentially, while recyclables generally earn enough revenue to pay for sorting and processing, their value is not enough to offset the costs of operating a typical residential curbside recycling program,” the associations state. “The financial assistance provided by the state through the Recycling and Renewable Energy Fund has helped municipalities maintain affordable recycling collection programs and ensure an uninterrupted supply chain for industries in Wisconsin and beyond.”

The signatories of the letter request a place at the table so they may offer their expertise and participation in discussing possible alternative funding models for recycling programs. They also caution that the state must allow adequate time to develop and phase in infrastructure changes. In the letter, they write, “We can offer the technical and practical experience to help guide sound materials management policy, the ability to coordinate increased efficiency and the willingness to participate to strengthen the economy of our great state.”

The letter can be viewed at http://arowonline.org/recyclingmeansbusiness.html. The site also provides information about recycling in Wisconsin.