Monday, December 17, 2007
Editorial: Recycling mandate could stand a boost
Virginia can do better than requiring that localities recycle only one-quarter of generated waste.
From the RoundTable blog
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Virginia's recycling rate has climbed over the past two years, from 29.8 percent in 2004 to 38.4 in 2006. That's good news in the environmentally conscious movement to keep landfills from overflowing.
But some localities in the Roanoke and New River valleys, while exceeding the state mandate to recycle at least 25 percent of their waste, lost ground from their '06 rate, a state Department of Environmental Quality recycling report says.
Virginia cities and counties could do much better. But as long as the state sticks to expectations set nearly 20 years ago, there is little reason for localities to try.
Since 1989, state law has required most localities or regional waste management areas to recycle at least 25 percent of their waste.
Compare that to rates in other states. The same year Virginia established its mandate, Minnesota passed a law setting a recycling goal of 35 percent for the Greater Minnesota area and 50 percent for Minneapolis-St. Paul. Arkansas will establish recycling goals of 40 percent by 2010.
Other states have increased mandates as goals have been met, under the sensible premise that continued improvement cannot occur if the mandates remain stagnant.
The DEQ in its report notes the progress localities and regional waste management areas have made. Eighty-six percent have achieved either the 25 percent mandate or the 15 percent for localities or regions with low population density or high unemployment.
Roanoke, with a 2006 recycling rate of 37.5 percent, should be counted among the localities that are doing better. The city has stepped up its commitment to green initiatives, such as maintaining its curbside recycling program, while other localities have abandoned them or declined to even try them.
Still, the state can do better than a 25 percent mandate. Too much trash is going in state landfills.
