Issues Identified at March 22, 2005 NERC Facilitated Discussion Session
Increasing the Supply of Recyclable Materials      

The Spring 2005 meeting of the Northeast Recycling Council, (NERC) included a facilitated discussion which sought to identify and provide suggestions for increasing the supply of materials recovered from the municipal and commercial waste streams for recycling. The goals of the session were to explore:

1. Strategies Trade Associations are using to increase the supply of recycled materials;
2. Available resources for supporting municipal and regional recycling programs (research, toolkits, technical assistance, databases, etc.); and
3. How can strategic partnerships be created between Trade Associations and the people who actually collect the materials: government, businesses, property managers, haulers, etc.

Essentially the session sought to explore ways that the different interests represented could work together to address the fundamental issue of lack of supply and excess processing capacity. Specifically, programs or initiatives Trade Associations are engaged in that would enable more materials to be recovered from the waste stream.

The gravity of the supply issue has been addressed by speakers representing different materials at several previous NERC meetings. It was reinforced in this discussion with the consensus being that when and if domestic processing capacity was eliminated, it would never return. Some participants indicated that this was in stark contrast to the situation in China, where mills could cease and renew operations "with the flip of a switch". Competition from the Chinese market has been a boon to recycling programs when marketing their materials. However, the competition has put market pressure on domestic processors competing with them on price and quality.

• Education - Promoting Recycling - There is a critical need to reinvigorate the public consciousness about the importance of recycling. Some of the general public has lost interest in recycling and relying on people's consciences to encourage recycling is not adequate to increase participation. The public no longer understands why it is important to recycle. Sustained public education and advertising will be required in order for recycling to regain its place in the collective consciousness. A national fee on trash that is utilized solely to provide education about recycling was one approach that was suggested for funding.
  
  Recycling industry needs to align itself or partner with another group that shares a common interest. One potential partner might be organized labor, given the nature of much of the employment in the recycling industry. The basis and emphasis would be on getting the economic message out to and via organized labor. Recycling's economic benefits should be touted by national environmental groups, as advocating primarily for the environmental benefits is no longer sufficient.
   
• Recycling Incentives - Present strong demand for recovered materials has not translated into an increase in supply. Several participants indicated that market conditions rarely have an effect on the supply of materials recovered from municipal and commercial recycling programs. Incentives need to be developed for consumers and businesses to recycle more. Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) is an example of an effective incentive for residential recycling. Resource Management (RM) Contracting is another important tool that could be employed with commercial generators to increase recycling. However, getting haulers to embrace RM Contracting is a formidable challenge.
   
• Economics of Recycling - A successful recycling program needs to be viewed as a business program that needs to be run efficiently. Information about the actual costs of recycling and solid waste programs must be obtained and utilized to demonstrate that recycling actually saves money. The fact that recycling programs save money on disposal and proper marketing of materials makes money must be emphasized and promoted.
   
• Collaboration, Cooperation & Coordination - There are multiple stakeholders that are depending on the continued viability of recycling. The various groups involved must collaborate with each other on promoting recycling and recycling needs to be "sold" like any other commodity. A national organization like the National Recycling Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council or the Environmental Defense Fund would probably be the best means by which to serve as the vehicle for this collaboration. Part of a collaborative campaign of this nature will require efforts to create a "brand" for recycling similar to what is done for consumer products. No progress has been made in this area due to a lack of coordination and funding.
   
• Trade Associations - The sentiment that Trade Associations should play an integral role in advocating for recycling was articulated from several perspectives. Trade Associations could articulate the area where they could work to get funding back into the EPA OSW budget; they could advocate that their members fund programs to increase recovery of materials; and articulate the area that they could work together (such as RBRC). However, Trade Associations don't have the financial resources to implement numerous individual programs and are better able to provide a broad perspective of what is occurring in the marketplace and in areas such as Design for the Environment (DFE). The role played by Trade Associations has evolved and will continue to do so, as it is determined by the needs of their members.
   
• Supporting State Recycling Efforts - State recycling officials feel that one strategy for increasing the supply of recyclables for US-based processors and manufacturers is to request state legislators' support of state recycling programs, particularly regarding supply issues. A strategy identified for accomplishing this task is a letter campaign to state legislators that would include the endorsement of recycling Trade Associations detailing the effects of state programs on the industries' needs.
   
• Product Stewardship/Extended Producer Responsibility - Recycling advocates should support initiatives that involve product and packaging manufacturers assuming complete or partial responsibility for their products and packaging to augment existing local government financial support for the current collection infrastructure. If manufacturers build the costs of end-of-life management into their products it will shift some of the financial burden from municipal/county/state governments.