Markell proposes statewide curbside recycling

For those that have been waiting for just the right incentive to not chuck those water bottles and soda cans straight into the trash, how about trash haulers picking up your recyclables at the door for free?

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, Gov. Jack Markell announced a “universal recycling” proposal that would bring curbside recycling to every home and business in the state, with no additional cost to consumers.

“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,” Markell said.

While homes and businesses would not be required to recycle, private waste haulers and municipalities would be required to offer the service at least once every other week. Because the current “bottle bill” is not working, according to Markell spokesperson Brian Selander, with only 12 percent of consumers actually taking bottles back, that deposit would be modernized over time to a 2-cent-per-bottle fee instead of the current 5-cent-per-bottle returnable deposit.

That 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 recycling containers for homeowners, trucks and other recycling infrastructure.

“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.”

The announcement was made in the presence of the environmental community, distributors, Delaware League of Local Governments representatives and trash haulers, with a positive response.

“Every affected party said it seemed like the right thing to do,” explained Selander.

Although probably more than a year away from implementation, the proposal has the potential to lessen the need for more landfills and reduce waste, and will help create new jobs within the industry.

Because it first needs to be introduced as a bill and then passed, logistics concerning the impact on municipalities that already provide curbside recycling for a fee have yet to be ironed out. But the ultimate goal is for everyone to be able to get involved, at no additional cost to the consumer.

“The idea is to have a service available that most places don’t have now,” said Selander.

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, above the fees it collects. 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 landfill 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 at present, would be established in code and given 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,” 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.”