Currently very few communities actively enforce recycling regulations. This is changing, however, as communities face growing revenue shortfalls, fewer landfill options, more restrictions on air pollution created by incinerators and renewed concern about the environment. Many Newark, New Jersey, residents have recently been surprised to discover themselves on the wrong side of the recycling regulations that require cardboard to be recycled, for instance. Most are simply paying the $25 fine rather than fighting it in court.
Increased Revenue
As communities face falling revenues and increased budget needs, the fines from enforcing recycling would help; but they are really minimal in most municipalities. If the community collects the recyclables themselves, however, they can get more revenue from selling those materials. The amount of money varies by location and material. Currently, plastics bring in the most revenue as composite decking companies use recycled plastic to make their products. Also, manufacturers selling into California are required to have a certain amount of recycled content (currently 25 percent). Communities make money when they handle recycling efforts themselves rather than contracting to a company to pick up the recycling in the same manner as trash, because they can reap the benefits of fluctuating markets more easily. Of course, the downside is also the fact that the market does fluctuate.
Decreased Waste to Landfill
Many communities are concerned about where to put any potential waste resulting from increased populations and mass consumerism. Enforcing recycling of cardboard, plastics, glass, aluminum and metals would decrease the amount being sent to existing landfills.
Higher Recycling Rate
Many states have regulations requiring municipalities to hit recycling targets for certain materials as well as an overall target. For instance, California and Oregon have targets for rigid plastic packaging containers to be recycled at a minimum of 25 percent or the manufacturers have to source reduce or use more recycled content in their products. Some communities have zero waste to landfill goals. Austin, Texas, has a zero waste target of 2040, for example.
Job Creation
If recycling was enforced, more enforcement officers would be needed to keep from pulling police or other officials from their jobs. Very few communities have separate recycling enforcement officials. Newark, New Jersey, calls their team sanitation inspectors, for instance. In their case, the jobs created were parking enforcement which is what the sanitation inspectors had been pressed into doing instead of enforcement. More haulers would be needed to keep up with the recyclables too.
Fewer Toxins Released in the Environment
Recycling electronics would keep cadmium, mercury, lead and metals that can become tainted when in contact with those substances out of the environment. Plastics take a 1,000 years to degrade in modern landfills. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers are also plastic but do breakdown faster but still have pieces remaining. Compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury which can be released into the environment. Batteries containing lead or nickel-cadmium are toxic and can pose serious environmental risks if not recycled.
