A plan for a new recycling initiative was endorsed by the bottled water industry earlier this month. The International Bottled Water Assn. (IBWA) board of directors approved a new framework for a material recovery program that can serve as the blueprint for local communities to increase recycling through the support and participation of all stakeholders.
According to Joseph K. Doss, IBWA president and CEO, “The material recovery program framework will assist in developing new, comprehensive solutions to help manage solid waste in communities throughout the United States by having all consumer product companies work together with state and local governments to improve recycling and waste collection efforts.”
IBWA’s material recovery program framework supports state-authorized public/private corporations that:
• Establish specific recycling goals in each community to increase recycling access and rates;
• Generate revenue for grants from annual consumer product company producer responsibility fees and local/state government contributions;
• Fund local government recycling infrastructure improvements and consumer education programs; and
• Dissolve when local recycling goals have been met.
IBWA believes that increasing the recycling rates for all consumer products and packaging should be a top priority for all companies whose product or packaging is ultimately discarded. In addition, IBWA believes that locally run, comprehensive recycling programs are the best method of cost-effectively diverting solid waste from landfills and increasing recycling of consumer products and packaging.
Source: International Bottled Water Assn.
