“Wastes that are not generated do not have to be managed.”

 Policy was originally under the control of local governments  Federal- level legislation:  1) Solid Waste Disposal Act (1965)  2) Resource Recovery Act of 1970 ◦ EPA jurisdiction ◦ focus on recycling ◦ encourage states to develop waste management programs

 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976 ◦ EPA given power to close local dumps and set regs for landfills ◦ combustion facilities covered by air pollution/ hazardous waste jurisdiction of EPA ◦ required states to develop comprehensive waste management programs

 Superfund Act of 1980 addressed abandoned hazardous waste sites (41% of all old landfills)  Hazardous/ Solid Waste Amendments of EPA given greater responsibility to set solid waste criteria for all hazardous waste facilities - even household waste  Feds have put pressure on states to develop IWMP (integrated waste management plans)

 1) waste reduction - materialistic lifestyles, affluence, overconsumption define the US ‘throwaway society’.  2) Government incentives to reduce waste include:  a) WASTEWISE - reduction of MSW by setting up partnerships with local governments, schools, organizations and multinational corporations. ◦ - voluntary - allowing partners to design their own solid waste reduction programs ◦ - Example - TARGETstores achieved savings of 22 million pounds of packaging over two years. The company recycled 350 million pounds of fiber, plastic, and other materials

 B) PAYT program in 4000 cities/towns, reduces waste % on average while increasing recycling 32% - 59%  C) EPR - extended product responsibility ◦ assigning some responsibility for reducing the impact of a product during each stage of its “life cycle” ◦ example Xerox/ HP makes it easy for customers to return used toners. They then recycle the units.

 3) waste disposal ◦ WTE will help ◦ local governments should attempt to dispose the waste locally using modern landfill methods and the creation of parks, preserves or wetlands

 4) Recycle and reuse ◦ first reuse or reduce, then recycle ◦ make more durable goods ◦ EPA goal of 35% recycling by 2005 (?) ◦ spotchecks - ban recycled items from general landfills ◦ enact a national bottle-deposit law ◦ set up ‘recycling loops”

 Actions taken by the government to encourage recycling:  must use a minimum post-consumer levels of recycled paper and glass  must purchase recycled products even if they are more expensive than virgin products  all packaging is required to be made (at least partly) of recycled materials