Laserfiche WebLink
OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL <br />307 CITY HALL <br />MINNEAPOLIS. MINNESOTA 55415 <br />i <br />PHONE: 348*2211 <br />STEVE CRAMER <br />COUNCIL MEMBER ELEVENTH WARD <br />(i54jy elf Date <br />April 25, 1989 <br />The Honorable Randy Johnson <br />Hennepin County Board of Commissioners <br />2400 Governriient Center <br />Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 <br />Dear Commissioner Johnson; <br />I read v.'ith great interest your press release on plastic recycling. While I support <br />inclusion of plastic as part of the County's reimbursement program and the move toward <br />a "Materials Recovery Facility", I take issue with several obsei ations you make. <br />I can assure you the City is noc interested in withdrawing from the County's reimbursement <br />program and turning down $2 million. Quite to tne contrary, I and other Council Members <br />consider our current recycling program and the packaging ordinance comp1 erne.itary. The <br />ordinance creates an incentive for all concerned parties, public and private, to work <br />together to recycle as much plastic as economically feasible.Don't give up on the <br />hope that some industry dollars can be garnered to help cities move into plastic recycling. <br />This may not have to be an entirely taxpayer funded obligation! The ordinance also permits <br />us to deal with forms of plastic packaging which can't economically be recycled. <br />As I have mentioned to you, I'm not at all certain the market for anything beyond HDPE <br />and PET is strong enough at this time for the County to economically >^eimburse cities <br />for collecting plastic. If I'm wrong, or if you choose to proceed anyway, that's fine. <br />However, if I'm right, then enforcement of the packaging regulation will be necessary <br />and useful as we in Minneapolis attempt to manage the solid waste stream to minimize <br />potential hazards. Again, your proposed policy doesn't supercede our ordinance until <br />the day every form of plastic food and beverage packaging is recycled; a day I don't <br />believe we have yet reached. Until that day, the initiatives are complementary in my <br />estimation. <br />Thanks for taking the time to let me know about your proposal ahead of time last week. <br />Despite my concerns about your press release, I'll be happy to work with you and your <br />colleagues on the issue of plastic recyclii <br />erely, <br />SC:ar <br />cc: Henpcpin County <br />Commissioners <br />e Cramer <br />Council Member, 11th Ward <br />AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER <br />rfi it <br />—'' <br />«/hTU^ <br />TTVA'OiCE (8121 348-2151 <br />'■"4 <br />N <br />VT