Municipal Recycling

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has reported that the statewide diversion rate for 2006 was 54 percent, 2 percent higher than the estimates for the previous year. As a result, the state has surpassed the 50 percent statewide diversion rate goal.

Last year California residents generated more than 92.2 million tons of solid municipal waste, disposing of about 42.2 million tons and diverting an estimated 50.1 million tons.

Each year the board’s Sustainability Program reports on statewide progress toward diversion goals of the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. This act charged the board with implementing far-reaching provisions and moving cities, counties and ultimately the state itself to higher waste diversion levels. In 1990, California diverted just 10 percent of its waste stream.

In response to increased construction activity in the state, the board and various jurisdictions have increased efforts to divert construction materials. New construction and demolition diversion programs have been implemented and more are in the planning stages.

More green waste and single-stream diversion programs may also have contributed to the diversion increase.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski has signed Senate Bill 707, which expands the state’s bottle bill to include plastic water bottles, into law.

Senate Bill 707 expands Oregon’s landmark 1972 bottle bill for the first time since its inception to include a refundable deposit for all plastic water bottles holding less than 3 liters. The bill also covers flavored waters. The expansion goes into effect Jan. 1, 2009.

The legislation includes a governor-appointed, nine-member Bottle Bill Task Force, which is charged with submitting a report to the governor by Nov. 1, 2008, on recommendations for how to further expand or modify the bottle bill’s recycling system.

"Oregon has long been a national leader in recycling. We already recycle over 45 percent of our waste stream, helping us use our natural resources efficiently and improve our quality of life," Kulongoski says. "This bill will allow is to significantly expand and exceed that number."

Zozzaro Bros. Inc. Announces Recycling Agreement

Zozzaro Bros. Inc. (ZBI), Clifton, N.J., has signed a three-year recycling agreement to market recyclables within the borough of Carteret, N.J.

During the Carteret Council meeting in late June, Zozzaro Bros. President Thomas San Giacomo, CFO Joe Wojak and Source Development Manager Joe McNellis presented Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman with three checks retroactive to April 2007 as a result of the higher contract prices for recyclables.

"The agreement enables us to offer Carteret a long-term stable outlet for recyclables," San Giacomo said. "This partnership will enhance awareness and promote the benefits of recycling in Carteret."

According to the agreement, ZBI will also provide Carteret with a host community fee based on all tons processed at the Carteret facility. The revenue delivered from recycling, along with the cost savings in diverting this material from landfills, will translate to hundreds of thousands in savings to taxpayers throughout the life of the contract, according to Zozzaro Bros.

The Delaware House of Representatives has rejected a bill that aimed to make curbside recycling mandatory in the state.

House Bill 146, sponsored by Rep. Pamela S. Maier, failed by a June 28 vote of 21-15, with four lawmakers not voting and one lawmaker absent.

The proposed program would have been funded through a $3-per-ton assessment on all solid waste, excluding recyclables, collected and disposed of in the state. The funds would have been used for startup costs, private-sector initiatives, support education and outreach programs and would have provided for an assessment of the potential for increased commercial recycling.

The bill also would have established recycling goals for residential and commercial solid waste and would have involved the Recycling Public Advisory Council.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has awarded more than $500,000 in funds to various municipal and public sector entities to boost recycling.

The money is from ADEQ’s Waste Reduction Assistance grants program, which funds projects devoted to waste reduction, recycling and composting in the state.

Bullhead City received $25,000 for a new recycling drop-off program that will include three collection trailers. The city is partnering with Allied Waste and Sam’s Club/Wal-Mart to implement the project. In addition, Bullhead City will receive $2,500 to promote the new recycling program through schools, cable advertising and direct mailings to all residents.

The city of Peoria received $200,000 to implement a citywide automated curbside recycling program to an estimated 45,500 households. The funds will be used to purchase recycling containers for residential use. The goal is to recycle at least 15 percent of material that would normally end up in the solid waste stream. In addition, Peoria received $62,000 to launch an automated commingled citywide recycling program for multi-family dwellings. Peoria’s program will deliver wheeled bins and 300-gallon barrels to multi-family dwellings. The city also received $60,000 to promote the new recycling programs using school presentations, advertisements, newsletters, mailers, booths at special events, an instructional video and block parties.

The city of Litchfield Park received $45,400 to implement an educational outreach campaign targeting school children, local businesses and residents through public event appearances, advertising and school presentations. Litchfield Park will host a poster/slogan recycling contest for children, set up booths at special public events and create advertisements to educate residents about a new curbside recycling program.

The city of Tucson has been awarded $78,000 to fund recycling in Pima County. Tucson will use the grant to hold 12 one-day community household hazardous waste and computer equipment collection events throughout the 2008 fiscal year at six different locations in the Tucson area. Six more one-day collection events will be held at the Tucson Water Plant.

Arizona State University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Projects in Tempe received $99,000 for a project to recycle construction debris containing plant cellulose into ethanol to be used as fuel. The goal of the program is to divert 80 tons of construction debris per day from landfills.

Under another grant, Mesa Community College (MCC) received $46,000 to increase the scope of its curbside commingled recycling program by expanding recycling to all campus buildings, providing recycling locations along public walkways and establishing used battery and light bulb collection sites on campus. This project will create two positions to coordinate the program. The college will partner with the city of Mesa to obtain more than 150 collection bins.

Cochise County has been awarded $60,000 to fund a study on recycling in general with a special concentration on establishing a permanent county facility to recycle electronic equipment and C&D debris.

The city of Phoenix’s Public Works Department received $141,000 to implement a special events recycling program, which will divert much of the solid waste materials collected at 13 special events in the city of Phoenix. Phoenix will purchase an alternative-fuel truck with a rear-load compacter, a John Deere Gator tractor with a tilt bed and special-venue collection containers to implement this project. In addition, the city received $67,800 to expand its recycling program by purchasing new recycling containers to be used in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve to decrease the amount of recyclables currently going into the solid waste stream.

The Town of Quartzsite has been awarded $10,000 to purchase a wood chipper to reduce the amount of green waste in the La Paz County Landfill by an estimated 26 percent.

Kentucky Awards Grants

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher has announced that 26 recycling programs across the state have received $2.3 million in state grants. The Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet’s Division of Waste Management issued the funds.

The grants require a minimum 25 percent local match in the form of cash or in-kind services, materials or equipment.

A $1.75 fee on each ton of municipal solid waste disposed of in Kentucky’s landfills funds the grants.