April 6 - WSJ Covers Plastic Recycling Industry Struggles

The Wall Street Journal reports that because virgin materials have become so cheap due to drastic drops in oil prices, this has caused problems for the recycling industry competing against virgin materials and for local government. Brokers are paying local governments less. "They are definitely concerned about the possibility that they may have to pay for the materials to be removed," Dominick D'Altilio, president of the Association of New Jersey Recyclers told the Journal.

Californians Against Waste is sponsoring three bills that will address the drop in demand for recycled materials as reported in the Wall Street Journal today. The bills would promote the use of recycled materials in beverage containers and also provide sales tax exemptions on recycling equipment and equipment used to manufacture new goods using recycled materials.

These bills will help the California recycling industry, as well as local governments that are struggling to find markets for the recyclables they collect.

SB 732 (Pan) and AB 1447 (Alejo) would encourage the consumption of recycled materials by requiring California manufacturers to use a minimum level of recycled content in their containers.

AB 199 (Eggman) would encourage investment in the development of California's recycling industry by providing a sales tax exemption on equipment that is used in the processing of recyclable material or in the manufacture of new goods using recyclable material.

These bills will help California's recycling industry and local governments weather the global glut in cheap oil and virgin materials, and prepare them to expand and continue to build a more sustainable economy in the future.