1. Material Disposal Bans North Carolina’s Experience
Virginia Recycling Association
May 15, 2012
Will Sagar
ExecutiveDirector

2. Legislative Steps Implementation Results
Just Say No
Legislative Steps Implementation Results

3. SERDC Sponsor members
Some of our sponsoring members that have made this possible.

4. Tires White Goods Automotive Batteries Yard Waste Motor Oil
1989 North Carolina Bans
Tires
White Goods
Automotive Batteries
Yard Waste
Motor Oil

5. Aluminum Cans 1993 Antifreeze 1993 Plastic Bottles 2005
Later Bans
Aluminum Cans 1993
Antifreeze 1993
Plastic Bottles
Oil Filters 2005
Pallets 2005
Electronics 2010
Cans in the mid 90’s
Plastic current
E Scrap on July 1
Motor Oil had been banned, but not the oil filter.

6. Disposal Bans Across the SERDC RegionGA FL KY NC
Aluminum
Cans
Computers
Ban
Glass Containers
ABC
Lead Acid Batteries
Liquid Wastes
NiCad Batteries
Paint
Plastic Containers
Bottles
Recyclable Paper
Tires
Waste Oil
White Goods
Yard Waste
Repealed
Other
Pallets
Lead Acid Batteries in every state.
Liquids in most. These are the only two in Virginia. You really put tires in landfills?
Source: NERC Survey

7. Observations on NC’s Disposal Bans
Early bans focused on problematic materials.
Main concerns of solid waste policy were landfill capacity and disposal safety.
Markets/infrastructure a secondary concern.
More recent bans have been “commodity” based.
Response to material demand and the need for collection infrastructure and activity.

8. The ban was passed in 2005 and went into effect October 2009.
Plastic Bottles
The ban was passed in 2005 and went into effect October 2009.
Local government plastic bottle recycling trends began an upward movement in the year after the legislation was passed but saw its biggest jump in the year of the ban’s implementation

9. The “Commodity” case– Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottle demand rising worldwide.
Broad range of product applications.
Domestic capacity fighting with China for supply.
Long-term rise in petroleum/natural gas costs will keep driving reliance on PCR (post-consumer resin).
Southeast particularly rich in bottle plastic processing and end-use: billion lbs/year.

10. Implementation
Regulatory view Local Government planning Significant Media Coverage
Paul Chrissman quoted saying we will not look in bags. Little direction received from the local offices or inspectors.
Many worked toward providing infrastructure as compliance. Never made official, but related.
The media coverage was only in the final five or six months.

11. Critical Support Technical Assistance Grants Training
Education Materials Development
Contact with Generators
Outreach to Media
Grants
NC recycling grant funds split between public and private sectors
Specialized grant cycles and bonus points in traditional cycles aimed at banned materials

12. Market Development Effects of Early Bans
12 million tons of material from disposal.
New markets and processing Infrastructure
Increase in supply to existing markets: e.g., oil, white goods, and batteries
Yard waste ban spurred mostly local government infrastructure, but now helping build private sector
Since their inception, the “original” bans have diverted over 12 mm tons.
New tire management companies
E.g., Some large municipal YW streams now delivered to private composters

13. NC Curbside Collection Programs
Curbside recycling programs climbed from 214 in FY 09 to 259 in FY 10. The number of households served by curbside recycling in North Carolina also grew from 1.52 million to 1.62 million. There is strong anecdotal evidence the plastic bottle disposal ban helped increase local commitment to new and expanded curbside recycling efforts..

14. NC Plastic Bottle Recovery (tons)
FY , , , %
FY , , , %
FY , , , %
FY , , , , %

15. NC Plastic Bottle Recycling Rate

17. Pallet collection increased nearly 50% to just under 8,000 tons.

18. ABC Permit Holders Not a ban, effective on January 1, 2008
15 New businesses formed.
Extimated increase of 35,000 TPY

19. NC Recycling Employment

20. Lessons from NC Bans
Bans are an effective way to declare the commodity status of materials.
Enforcement can be an issue and bans by themselves are not a “magic bullet.”
Successful bans require both presence and development of infrastructure.
May need lead time built in to law for infrastructure to mature.
Success can be encouraged with program and grant support.

21. Summary Bans increase recovery Recycling creates jobs
Like fire ants, the Yard waste disposal repeal is spreading. Georgia this year. Possibly the Carolinas and Tennessee next year.

22. Will Sagar Executive Director will.sagar@serdc.org
My contact information,
Will Sagar
Executive Director