Recent global shifts have provided states, cities and counties with opportunities to explore innovations to their recycling programs to make them more effective, efficient and successful.
NCSL has gathered a variety of resources that showcase state efforts to increase recycling rates, reduce landfill waste and create economic opportunities. These include, but are not limited to, recycling end-market development, providing grants to support recycling infrastructure, implementing cart tagging programs and providing community education programs.
Recycling Market Development
California: The Recycling Market Development zone combines recycling with economic development in order to provide growth to existing businesses, create jobs, fuel new businesses and remove waste from landfills.
Colorado: The state’s NextCycle provides funding, expertise and economic data to businesses, communities and universities interested in turning recovered materials into marketable parts.
Florida: The Recycling Business Assistance Center assists in the development of recycled materials and businesses. They provide guidance to increase recycling markets and create connections between industry and government professionals.
Indiana: The state offers recycling market development grants. Projects that are offered money focus on an increase in recyclable material, a reduction in municipal solid waste shipped for final disposal, and improved partnerships with community recycling opportunities and awareness.
Maine: The Maine Resource Recovery Association promotes market development of recyclables.
Michigan: In 2019, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality announced new funding to support the growth of recycling markets in Michigan. They aim to support businesses and organizations through grants.
Minnesota: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency helps businesses develop uses for recycled materials by offering technical, financial and marketing assistance.
Missouri: The program promotes the development and maintenance of markets for recovered materials and recycled content products. The program provides financial incentives, technical assistance, and informational services. Link to Missouri Market Development Program's Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2018.
Ohio: Ohio’s Environmental Protection Agency provides grant funding to businesses and communities that want to stimulate market development for reusing recyclables and litter prevention efforts.
Current Legislation
| State |
Bill #
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Status
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Summary
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California
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2019 AB 1583
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Enacted
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Requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to convene a Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling.
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Colorado
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2020 SB 55
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Pending
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Concerns the expansion of market mechanisms for the further development of recycling.
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Maryland
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2020 HB 1452
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Pending
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Requires the Office of Recycling in the Department of the Environment to develop markets for recycled materials and recycled products in the State in a certain manner; requires the Office to report to the General Assembly each year; requires the Office to coordinate certain activities with certain entities; prohibits the Department of the Environment from employing more than a certain number of staff to carry out the requirements of the Act.
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New Jersey
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2018 SB 3939
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Enacted
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Establishes the Market Development Council
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Utah
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2020 HB 179
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Pending
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Modifies the carry forward provisions of the recycling market development zone income tax credits.
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Grants/Loans for Infrastructure/Capital Equipment
California: The state offers financing assistance and resources for local agencies and businesses, including those proposing recycling infrastructure. Some of them include:
- Greenhouse Gas Recycling Funds to Support Recycling Infrastructure
- Manufacturing Sales and Use Tax Exemptions
More information can be found here on page 7.
Colorado: Colorado.gov’s Recycling Grants and Rebates page says “the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) Program provides funding promoting economic development through the management of materials that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Funds are available to support recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, source reduction, and beneficial use/reuse.”
Florida: The Florida Recycling Loan Program aims to provide funding for equipment and machinery to expand recycling capacity in Florida. Since 1995, the Recycling Loan Program has issued 27 loans totaling $3.9 million. Equipment purchased has ranged from extruders and conveyors to tub grinders and crushers.
Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection provides grants and assistance to organizations. Some of them include:
- Sustainable Materials Recovery Program Municipal Grants (supports local recycling and policy development)
- Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grants (Grant money to municipalities for short term waste reduction projects)
More can be found here.
Nebraska: The Nebraska Recycling Council provides grants for purchasing recycling equipment. Organizations, schools, municipalities, recycling companies, and government entities are eligible to apply. Examples of equipment eligible for funding are forklifts, skid loaders, balers, recycling trailers, recycling carts, indoor and outdoor recycling bins, cargo trailers, semi-trailers, lift-gates, can crushers, dumpsters, trucks, portable loading ramps, approved recycling labels and more.
New Hampshire: New Hampshire the Beautiful provides grants to assist with the purchase of recycling equipment. These grants c
New York: The New York Department of Environmental Conservation provides grants for waste reduction and recycling. One of the programs is for recycling capital projects, including equipment and facilities. The goal of the program is to assist projects that enhance municipal recycling infrastructure.
South Carolina: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control offers grants to municipalities for implementation or expansion of waste reduction and/ or recycling projects.
Tennessee: The Tennessee Department of Environment offers a Recycling Equipment Grant. Eligible recycling equipment includes key recycling equipment needed for collection, processing, operations, or to prepare recovered materials for transport and marketing. Some of the recycling equipment includes carts made with recycled content and embedded RFID tags, containers, compactors, balers, glass crushers, densifiers, and sorting systems, and forklifts.
Additionally, Harmony Enterprises has a great resource for information on recycling grants.
Cart-Tagging
Chicago, Illinois: Recycling pickup crews tag blue carts that contain obvious problem materials.
King County, Wash.: The county uses “Recycling Only Oops” tags. They monitor misplacement and contamination in recycling carts. If a driver finds contamination, the cart will be tagged, and the resident will be informed on proper disposal.
Flagstaff, Arizona: The city is in the process of implementing a tagging protocol.
Charlotte, N.C.: The city is undergoing a cart-tagging pilot program. A cart-tagging team is responsible to inspect recycling carts biweekly at random. The team will either leave a red or green tag. Similar programs are being done in Atlanta, Ga., and Clark County, Wash.
Greensboro, N.C.: Greensboro's cart-tagging program is called “Recycle Right.” Recycling truck drivers use a camera system to watch for contaminants in recycling. They send out virtual tags through an app.
Dartmouth, Mass.: The town did an eight-week curbside engagement program in 2017. This program’s main component was to leave behind bins that had plastic bags, plastic wrap and bagged recyclables in them. This program was designed to help educate residents on what materials are not accepted and create a more efficient system.
Current Legislation of Interest
| State |
Bill #
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Status
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Summary
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New Jersey
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2020 AB 3354
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Pending
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A recycling center that processes glass, plastic, cardboard, or paper shall submit to the Department of Environmental Protection, on a form and in a manner determined by the department, information concerning recycling markets and recycling contamination, including, but not limited to the availability, location, and cost of markets for recycled materials and the nature and extent of contamination in the recycling stream.
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Washington
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2019 SB 1543
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Enacted
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Creates a contamination reduction and outreach plan. The contamination reduction and outreach plan must address reducing contamination in recycling.
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Education Programs on Recycling
Current Legislation
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State
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Bill #
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Status
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Summary
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Massachusetts
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2019 HB 2830
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Pending
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Relates to the development of economically sound and environmentally progressive solid waste management strategies to improve recycling. Provides money for state litter education programs for the public and for schools, from the Municipal Recycling Enhancement Fund.
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2019 HB 2859
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Pending
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Imposes a recycling fee on beverages sold in beverage containers in the Commonwealth. Provides money for state litter education programs for the public and for schools, from the Municipal Recycling Enhancement Fund.
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2019 HB 798
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Pending
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Allows for the use of fines to fund municipal recycling education programs.
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2019 SB 498
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Pending
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Allows for the use of fines to fund municipal recycling education programs.
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Mississippi
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Increases the fines for littering. The proceeds of such fines shall be spent by the collecting jurisdiction solely for the purpose of funding local litter prevention programs or projects or local or school litter education programs.
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United States
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2019 SB 2941
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Pending
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Requires the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a consumer recycling education and outreach grant program.
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HB 5906
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Pending
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Requires the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a consumer recycling education and outreach grant program.
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Statute Citations:
California: Cal. Pub Res Code §17001
Provides a grant from the funds in the California Tire Recycling Management Fund to implement programs including an education and outreach program on tire recycling.
Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. §22a-255f
The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall develop a public education program on waste reduction.
Louisiana: La Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 2506 to 2519
Creation of the environmental education and litter reduction section which shall assist the commission and perform responsibilities relative to education and litter control. Works to promote and aid in the establishment and assessment of elementary and secondary school environmental education programs.
Florida: Fla. Stat. §403.706
Provides a public education and promotion program that is conducted to inform its residents of the opportunity to recycle, encourages source separation of recyclable materials, and promotes the benefits of reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting materials.
Minnesota: Minn. Stat. §115A.072
Develop a statewide waste management public education campaign with materials that may be easily adapted by political subdivisions to meet their program needs; and develop and made available to schools’ educational curricula on waste education for grades kindergarten to 12 to address at least waste reduction, recycling, litter, and proper management and disposal of problem materials.
Mississippi: Miss. Code. Ann §37-25-5
The State Superintendent of Public Education shall prepare and recommend to the State Board of Education, and the board shall adopt rules and regulations governing the establishment, conduct and scope of driver education and training programs in secondary schools of this state. The state driver education program shall include instruction on the litter laws of the state and the responsibilities of the driver and all passengers to dispose of litter in the proper container.
Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. §81-1561
The Department of Energy and Environment shall allocate and distribute funds from the Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Fund in percentage amounts to be determined by the council on an annual basis for numerous activities. One program is for public education, motivation, and participation aimed at creating an ethic conducive to the reduction of litter, establishing an attitude against littering and a desire for a clean environment and securing greater awareness of and compliance with anti-litter laws. This includes the distribution of informative materials to elementary and secondary schools.
New Jersey: N.J. Rev. Stat. §459A.008
An expanded education and promotion program to inform generators of solid waste of the manner and benefits of reducing, reusing, recycling and composting material, promote use of recycling services and reduce contamination in collected recyclables. The city, county or metropolitan service district is responsible for providing an opportunity to recycle shall provide the education and promotion program.
Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code. Ann §3736.02
General Assembly to pass laws to encourage schools and the means of instruction on Litter prevention and recycling fund.
Oregon: Or. Rev. Stat. §471.754
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission shall develop recycling education materials for distribution through stores established by the commission that encourage the patrons of the store to recycle bottles sold through the stores.
South Carolina: S.C. Code Ann. §48-54-30
To provide effective statewide litter removal, reduction and prevention, and litter law enforcement, the commission shall develop a strategic state plan for litter. Will conduct research on the development of new and innovative public awareness and education programs including the development of litter programs for schools and community organizations and the development of public awareness through media outlets and other public means.
Texas: Tex. Education Code. Ann. §1001.107
The commission by rule shall require that information relating to litter prevention be included in the curriculum of each driver education and driving safety course.
West Virginia: W. Va. Code §22-15A-5
The Department of Education in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection shall distribute educational materials to the schools based on the goals of litter clean up and proper solid waste disposal, the rationale for the goals and how primary and secondary school students can contribute to the achievement of the goals. The Department of Education shall further incorporate this information into the curriculum of the public school system as appropriate.
Additionally, some municipalities are incorporating recycling education programs. For example, Boulder and Broomfield, Colo. have implemented environmental education programs in their schools.