Is Waste-to-Energy Recycling? NRC and IRC Say No!
NRC has been working closely with the Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC), a state affiliate, to defend the state’s recycling program funding. Some state leaders want to finance non-recycling technologies using dedicated recycling funds and to change the definition of recycling to include conversion technologies and waste-to-energy. These efforts would jeopardize Indiana’s place as a recycling leader and its well-funded grant and loan program that helps grow the recycling infrastructure and industry, as well as green state and local government.
The state board governing the Recycling Promotion and Assistance Fund recently allowed plasma arc waste treatment to be considered for funding, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), in the draft Integrated Recycling Plan has proposed that other waste-to-energy processes, like incineration, should also be eligible for these funds as a “lower level of recycling.”
In a letter to Governor Mitch Daniels opposing these moves, NRC provided evidence that recycling is a multi-billion dollar industry for the state, employs thousands in high-paying jobs, and provides cities and towns the ability to significantly reduce their waste management costs, all while saving resources and reducing emissions that cause global warming. In Indiana, recycling is a significant contributor to the state’s economic vitality, with over 75,000 jobs in 1,700 recycling and reuse establishments. These jobs provide $3 billion in wages and salary disbursements, $285 million in tax revenue to the State, and $19 billion in annual revenue.
In the letter to the governor, NRC stated: “Of the dozens of states with comprehensive solid waste management laws, no state statute defines the burning of waste for energy as recycling. The NRC and IRC have worked hard to educate the public on recycling, and have long established standards for these terms that our education programs are based on. NRC defines recycling as ‘the series of activities by which discarded materials are collected, sorted, processed, and converted into raw materials and used in the production of new products.’ The definition specifically excludes waste-to-energy as recycling, and defines ‘waste’ as discarded materials and products that are landfilled or incinerated, rather than reused, recycled, or composted. Including waste-to-energy as a ‘lower level of recycling’ would conflict with these definitions, the laws in every state with solid waste policies in place, and the federal government’s waste management hierarchy. Changing the definition of recycling in Indiana to include waste-to-energy could fundamentally undermine the credibility the term ‘recycling.’ For these reasons, we strongly urge the state to abandon plans to consider waste-to-energy as a form of waste diversion or recycling.”
NRC also protested the use of recycling funds (from dedicated grant and loan programs established in legislation) for non-recycling activities such as waste-to-energy projects. Siphoning away limited funds from recycling to less environmentally desirable disposal options such as waste-to-energy and landfilling will inhibit the growth of recycling in Indiana and increase waste disposal for decades to come, when the rest of the country is moving in the opposite direction.
In addition to the help received from NRC, IRC has also used its NRC connections with other state affiliates to generate letters of support from across the nation. IRC has launched an excellent website and advocacy campaign detailing these issues at www.defendrecycling.org. Please visit the site and help defend recycling in Indiana!