Solid Waste Industry Pleased with Indiana Recycling Legislation

INDIANAPOLIS, March 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Indiana will soon begin reporting the annual volume of recyclable materials diverted from landfills, as legislation (H.B. 1183) authored by State Rep. David Wolkins (R-Warsaw) will be signed by Gov. Mike Pence in the next few days.

Members of the National Waste & Recycling Association (Waste & Recycling)—including landfill operators and solid waste haulers—participated in the development of the bill, in cooperation with several representatives of the environmental and industrial communities. Waste & Recycling representatives brought a model draft bill from Michigan to Indiana legislative leaders, leading to the introduction of H.B. 1183, which was recently approved by the Legislature.

"My colleagues and I appreciate the help of the National Waste & Recycling Association in making this bill a reality," Rep. Wolkins said.

Beginning in 2015, recyclers will report to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), on an annual basis, how much municipal waste is collected in Indiana. Materials reported to IDEM will include glass, paper, plastic and metals. In turn, IDEM will begin reporting to the Legislature on the volumes of recyclable materials collected.

Recycling is a major part of the modern solid waste business profile. Providing recycling in communities is a competitive part of securing waste disposal contracts with municipalities. 

"The waste industry has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Recycling is now an integral part of our business," said Terry Guerin, president of the Indiana Chapter of the National Waste & Recycling Association. "Michigan is on a similar track; we were pleased we could get a version into law in Indiana so quickly. This legislation will help Indiana lawmakers develop common sense approaches to increasing the state's recycling rate in the coming years.

"Unfortunately, the scope of this legislation originally included reporting from industrial and incinerator sectors, but those groups were removed from the bill," Guerin said. "Inclusion of those sectors is vital if we are to understand exactly how well we are doing. We will be back next year."

The National Waste & Recycling Association is the trade association that represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that collect and manage garbage, recycling and medical waste, equipment manufacturers and distributors and a variety of other service providers. For more information about how innovation in the environmental services industry is helping to solve today's environmental challenges, visit www.beginwiththebin.com.

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SOURCE National Waste & Recycling Association