HD10 - Annual Report of the Virginia Recycling Markets Development Council


Executive Summary:
The Virginia Recycling Markets Development Council, established by the General Assembly in 1993, is directed by statute (Section 9-145.47, Code of Virginia) to develop and monitor the implementation of a plan to strengthen Virginia's recycling infrastructure and markets by improving the supply and quantity of recyclables available, expanding the capacity of collectors, processors and manufacturers to handle and use secondary materials, and developing strategies to increase the use of specific materials.

In carrying out the charge that the General Assembly provided to the Council, the Council is to undertake the following activities:

A. 1. Promote and coordinate state agencies' and authorities' efforts to enhance markets for recycled or recovered materials.

2. Promote the purchase of products made from recycled or recovered materials.

3. Identify and evaluate financial and other incentives that may attract new businesses that can use recycled or recovered materials generated in Virginia.

4. Identify barriers to the development of markets for recycled material, including existing state policies, regulations and procedures, and recommend alternatives to overcome such obstacles.

5. Develop recommendations for the establishment of a regional or interstate marketing system for recycled materials.

6. Encourage the use of uniform recycling definitions and standards throughout the state.

7. Promote and encourage public/private market development initiatives.

8. To report annually its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly; and

9. To determine the volume of materials by varying categories or commodities that is being recycled in the Commonwealth and to report its findings in its 1998 report. The Council shall investigate the frequency of situations in which, because of market conditions or other factors, materials collected for recycling are otherwise disposed of, and determine measures to avoid the recurrence of such situations. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) shall provide staff to the Council for the purposes of this subdivision and shall cooperate with the Council in the preparation of the report.

B. The Council shall develop and monitor the implementation of a plan to strengthen Virginia's recycling infrastructure and markets which (i) improve the supply and quantity of recyclables available; (ii) expand the capacity of collectors, processors, and manufacturers to handle and use secondary materials, and (iii) incorporate strategies to increase the use of specific measures.

INTRODUCTION

The legislation, establishing the Virginia Recycling Markets Development Council requires the Council to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on its findings and recommendations. Since its inception, the Council has attempted to complete its reporting on a Calendar Year basis. This frequently means that data on the status and health of the recycling industry is not available in a timely fashion for the Council's consideration. Also, Calendar Year reporting is frequently complicated by the annual changeover in Council officers and every four years in the transition of the entire Council. To address these issues, which have complicated the Council's annual reporting, the Council believes that Fiscal Year reporting may be more appropriate. Therefore, to provide the necessary transition, this 1999-2000 Annual Report of the Virginia Recycling Markets Development Council covers an eighteen-month period. Future Annual Reports will be prepared on a Fiscal Year basis.