The Massachusetts Senate recently passed legislation to develop and achieve performance standards for solid waste recycling, promoting a healthy and sustainable commonwealth. “This bill encourages the continued health and sustainability of Massachusetts,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Marc R. Pacheco, sponsor of S. 454. “Recycling is more important than it has ever been. We must be mindful of our actions; by conserving our resources and putting them back to productive use, we avoid unnecessary pollution, save money and protect our environment. This legislation makes sense for us all.”
“Reducing solid waste and increasing our recycling rate will protect our natural resources and provide a path for a clean and sustainable future for our residents,” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst. “It is our responsibility to do our best to preserve our environment for future generations and this bill is another important step towards that effort.”
Before 1990, Massachusetts residents recycled about 10 percent of their discarded materials. In 1990, Massachusetts adopted its first Solid Waste Master Plan, a blueprint for managing solid waste that is generated, reused, recycled, recovered and disposed in the commonwealth. Since then, government and citizen efforts have led to a 47 percent recycling rate overall. However, waste generation continues to increase while the growth in recycling has leveled off.
S.454 requires the Department of Environmental Protection to establish performance standards for municipal solid waste reduction by July 1, 2017. It also requires the reduction of no more than 600 pounds of solid waste per capita by July 1, 2018, and no more than 450 pounds per capita by July 1, 2022. A Municipal Solid Waste Standards Action Plan will be developed by DEP by Dec. 1, 2017.
“The Environmental League of Massachusetts applauds Senator Pacheco for his leadership to reduce waste and increase recycling in the commonwealth,” said Erica Mattison, legislative director of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “This bill provides multiple benefits such as relieving pressure to expand landfills and incinerators, conserving natural resources, reducing emissions and saving municipalities money. To fulfill the state’s Solid Waste MasterPlan, it is necessary for best practices already in place in many of our communities to become more commonplace.”
To read the full story, visit http://raynham.wickedlocal.com/news/20160701/massachusetts-senate-passes-solid-waste-recycling-bill.