Minnesota and Wisconsin Recycling Profiles Wayne Gjerde MPCA Brad Wolbert WiDNR
Wisconsin Recycling Program Structure Implementation delegated to ~1100 Responsible Units of local government Range from county-size downwards Minimum ordinance requirements set by state All households, businesses and events required to recycle RUs receive grant monies from state Recycling Fund Cities >5000 must provide for curbside collection Landfill bans on common recyclables conditional bans don t apply to RUs with Effective Recycling Programs All RUs currently have Effective Recycling Programs
Wisconsin Recycling Program Funding Funding is a mix of state and local money: State sources are landfill tip fee and business tax surcharge State Recycling Fund cost-shares shares about 30% of local costs, in the aggregate 2007 local costs net of recyclables sales: $98M Additional state costs (administration, R&D, outreach): $4M Total annual government expenditures: $102M
Wisconsin Local Government Activities Education Implementation and enforcement of local ordinance Collection and processing (own or contract) Recordkeeping and reporting Multifamily dwellings Event recycling Electronics roundups Ag plastics Pharmaceuticals Cooperation among RUs including regional consortia Interest in product stewardship
Wisconsin Observations Over 500 Wisconsin communities (not RUs) ) employ volume-based fees for trash Single stream increasingly prevalent Curbside availability and participation rates of 80% + Household surveys show continuing broad public interest and participation Mix of private and public service providers with enterprise-oriented public entities
Minnesota Recycling Program Structure Implementation delegated to county government Range from county-size downwards Requirements set by county solid waste plan Cities over 5000 population required to have curbside recycling 75% of Minnesotans have access to curbside recycling Landfill bans Materials collected for recycling are banned from the landfill. No traditional curbside materials banned from consumer disposal except for yard waste landfill ban.
Minnesota Local Government Activities Event recycling Electronics roundups Ag plastics Pharmaceuticals Education Processing of recyclables and contracting for service
Minnesota Recycling Program Funding Funding is a mix of state and local money: State sources are Solid Waste Tax State SCORE dollars are distributed by population size for each county with an approved solid waste plan Counties are required to provide a 25% match to the state dollars. County funding comes from a combination of fees and county solid waste taxes on households
Minnesota Observations Single stream increasingly prevalent High curbside availability Mix of private and public service providers with enterprise-oriented public entities
Minnesota Observations Recycle More Minnesota Focus Groups Lack of convenience bin in a variety of places public spaces Cost/financial/fees: more of a dollar incentive; financial disincentive to throw away; global economy tie back to what people pay Lack knowledge/understand what can be recycled, where to take, distance, and,when is recycling center open Wrong knowledge: other counties/state can do; misinformation on recycling Local advantage with end product; not knowing/seeing connection between recycled product and next products Lack of motivation message connect to availability Not time to read information simple to see and understand Not free not seeing personal benefit of efforts Life style not suitable/time
Processing 100% of glass can be processed in MN PET has strong domestic and foreign markets HDPE has a strong MN market from plastic lumber manufacturers Aluminum has strong domestic and foreign markets
Virgin Materials Production (Beverage Producer and Bottler) Distribution Sales (Retailers: Grocers, Convenience, Other) Collection (Waste Haulers) Point of Disposal (Curbside, Drop off Center, Away From Home, Litter) Consumption (At Home, Away from Home) Sort into Disposal or Recycling Disposal (Landfill or WTE) Recycling Processing