Claire Sullivan, Executive Director of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative presents her universal recycling bill, H765 An Act to Reduce Solid Waste and Provide Universal Recycling Access

2. Why a “Universal Recycling” Bill?
• Munis provide recycling access to most residents
• Focus for diversion has been on municipalities
• Many/most private customers opt out of “optional” recycling
• More disposed tons, recovery potential from commercial
sector:
1 MassDEP SWMP 2010-2020, Table 1
2 MassDEP Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling
Surveys 2009
3 US Census Bureau Massachusetts Quick Facts
Total MSW: 5.8 million tons disposed 2009 1
Municipalities: 2.3 million tons disposed 2009 2,3
Remainder = commercial: 3.5 million tons

3. Current regulations
• MassDEP Waste Bans enforced at end of pipe
• high diminimis action levels
• difficult to ID generator
• low chance of NON or fine
• SWMP, p.21: Policy Objective One: “Increase recycling
and composting by businesses and institutions through
TA, a requirement on waste haulers to provide full
recycling services to their customers, more aggressive
enforcement of Waste Bans on haulers and generators”

4.  all residents, businesses and institutions must separate
recyclables from the trash
 all waste haulers must provide adequate recyclables
collection service to all customers and
 recycling service must be included with solid waste
collection service cost.
 MassDEP have the authority to enforce the Waste Bans
on generators and haulers from the point of generation
through the point of disposal.

5. Models
 63 Local ordinances in Mass.
 Waste haulers must provide recycling
service to all customers, document to town
 33 require bundled pricing
 Some require businesses to recycle
 Enforcement by BOH is difficult
 Vermont Act 148: An act relating to establishing
universal recycling of solid waste 2012
 Delaware SB234: Universal Recycling Law 2010
 California AB341: Recycling Law 2012

6. Status
 13 Cosponsors
 Committee: Environment, Natural
Resources and Agriculture 617-722-2210
 Hearing date: TBD
 2 page Baby Bill needs nurturing (and data) from
stakeholders to help it grow, mature and succeed
 Survey to assess current service levels, impacts on
waste and recycling haulers

7. Potential Impacts
Environmental:
 Recover valuable material resources
 Eliminate need for new disposal capacity
 Reduce GGEs from manufacturing, disposal
Economic:
 Improve collection route efficiencies
 Create jobs
 Business opportunity: Increase revenues/ Reduce costs?
Please take the survey at
ssrcoop.info, scroll to Documents

8. Claire Sullivan, Executive Director
781.329.8318
ssrecyclingcoop@verizon.net
LET’S FIGURE IT OUT
TOGETHER!

9. Source: MassDEP
2010-2020 Solid
Waste Master
Plan, Dec. 2012,
Fig, 5