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Topics
- How are we doing in recycling?
- Why we need to do more
- What are the options?
- How can we take some things off of your
The Future of Recycling Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
The Future of Recycling Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
The Future of Recycling Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities Alexandria, MN November 15, 2012 Topics How are we doing in recycling? Why we need to do more What are the options? How can we take some things off of your plate?
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Recycling Reinvented
- New 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Only purpose: Educate/advocate for EPR for
packaging & printed paper
- Staff includes two former state legislators with
EPR experience
SLIDE 4
How are we doing?
- Minnesota is above average
- Counties responsible for recycling
- Part of an integrated waste mgmt system
- Solid waste management tax & SCORE grants
are unique
- Rural Minnesota does pretty darn well
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What does recycling mean to MN?
- MN markets in plastic, glass, steel, paper
- MN recycling manufacturing jobs > 15,000
- Induced and indirect jobs > 22,000
- Material collected valued at $700 million, still
threw away $285 million
- $8.5 billion in gross economic activity
- We conserve 5 million trees annually & take
equivalent of 1.3 million cars off the road
Source: MPCA
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Source: As You Sow
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What are international, national & regional trends in recycling?
- Global brands committing to recycled content
- Global demand for rigid packaging going up
- But demand > supply (and has for a decade)
- More automation, higher scale, big $$$
- Commodities traded globally
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Source: As You Sow
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What are the new challenges?
- MPCA has goal of 60% recycling by 2030
- Cities have bigger worries than recycling
- No new state or federal dollars likely
- Taxpayers & ratepayers under strain
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Options?
- Some consumer brands are frustrated that
they can’t get more material
- They want to pay for the cost of recycling
- They would like some control over how the
money is spent and how recycling is organized
- It’s called extended producer responsibility
(EPR)
- Similar to product stewardship
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How does EPR work?
TODAY
- Consumers pay hauler
- r city for recycling
service
- Enterprise fees, utility
bill, general taxes
- Typical household cost
= $30-40 per year UNDER EPR
- Brand owners set up a
producer responsibility
- rganization (PRO)
- PRO assumes cost of
recycling collection
- PRO allocates cost to
brand owners
- Consumer pays with
new product
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How it would work II
- PRO would move toward more harmonization,
scaling up of best practices
- Would use existing infrastructure, especially
when it is efficient
- Would take until the end of decade to mature
completely
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What could EPR mean for you?
- PRO reimburses public or private MRFs at
negotiated rate—no “blank check”
- Can’t charge for reimbursed services or
services no longer provided
- If a city doesn’t want it, it pays
- Won’t void existing contracts
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Stars & planets starting to align
- Cities/counties seek relief
- Retailers don’t want stuff in the store
- Brands have set high recovery goals but don’t
have a plan to meet them
- Manufacturers need more material
- Labor seeks stronger manufacturing
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Next Steps
- Seeking state legislation in 2013 or later
- Developing a cost-benefit analysis
- Targeting several states, including MN
- Check out our white paper at www.recycling-
reinvented.org/resources
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