01-03-1985 Council Packet Special Meeting

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Generally, the cost of a product does not reflect what the public must pay for collection and disposal of solid waste generated by the product. One technique is to institute a charge on the product to be paid by the user for the costs of waste disposal. Although use of product charges could reduce waste by an estimated two to three percent it is doubtful whether a product charge could be applied on a state level because of a potential conflict with interstate commerce. Bans on the production of certain products or materials may be used to control products that present substantial environmental or public health risks. Gener- ally they can be applied only if there are alternative materials and products. Bans are somewhat limited, and require either legislative action or regulatory agency resolution to be implemented properly. Priorities It is difficult to determine how much of the region's waste could be diverted from landfilling through waste reduction methods, but they would probably account for only a few percentage points. Several industries, public institu- tions and other organizations are already carrying out waste reduction activi- ties to reduce costs. However, many manufacturing .rocesses cannot produce completely recyclable or reusable products, and waste generators frequently do not know about opportunities for reducing waste at the source. Waste reduction also has major institutional barriers to overcome. A full- scale effort requires new federal or state legislation aimed at reducing waste produced by specific industries. Such legislation generally takes years to pass, and only after the full economic consequences and benefits are known. For these reasons, many waste reduction efforts are beyond the capabilities of local governmental units to implement. It is likely, however, that waste reduction efforts will expand somewhat with- out legislation or major advances in technology. Waste reduction will occur if 1) the opportunities for conservation are recognized and 2) there are economic incentives to do so. To promote such efforts, the regional strategy emphasizes reduction methods that are administratively simple to implement. Such programs include consumer education and awareness, office paper reuse, yard -waste mulching and govern- mental purchasing practices favoring reduction. Particular focus should be on awareness and education programs that emphasize the benefits of waste reduction. The metropolitan counties are currently studying the composition and sources of commercial and industrial solid waste. The studies may help identify further opportunities for waste reduction. In addition, reduction measures requiring new legislation should be evaluated as part of a long-range effort. For the foreseeable future, however, waste reduction will play a limited role in dealing with the region"s wastes. 21