State lawmakers got close on multiple waste and recycling bills, but most didn’t make it through. Sponsors have pledged to revive the efforts when they return for a new session later this month.
UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2019: S3939, a bill to establish a Recycling Market Development Council, has been signed into law.
Cole Rosengren reports for WasteDive Jan. 15, 2020
The New Jersey legislature failed to reach an agreement on multiple waste and recycling bills before the end of its two-year legislative session yesterday, but momentum is expected to continue.
Among the most high-profile items was an organics diversion requirement for select large generators. The Assembly passed the bill (A3726) last month, but it never came up for a vote in the Senate. Sen. Bob Smith told Politico he has a commitment from Senate President Stephen Sweeney that a new version will be taken up shortly after a Jan. 30 committee hearing.
Another major bill (S2776) passed the Senate on Monday, but failed to advance in the Assembly. It would have phased in bans on single-use plastic and paper bags, as well as expanded polystyrene foam food containers, and required straws only be given out upon request. Smith has also pledged to reintroduce a new version of that bill this month.
Both chambers did pass two notable recycling bills on Monday that now await Gov. Phil Murphy’s signature. The first (S3939) would establish a Recycling Market Development Council to assess state needs and recommend solutions. The second (A4382) would establish a state stewardship program for architectural paint.
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Given the session deadline, multiple bills appear to have run out of time to resolve political disagreements – some of which were complicated by late-stage amendments – and must now be introduced anew. Despite these partial results, waste and recycling topics appear to be gaining momentum as municipalities throughout the state struggle with rising costs.
Those concerns are best evidenced by the passage of S3939, which was spurred by a committee hearing last summer to address local recycling issues. Local governments in New Jersey cannot consider canceling their recycling programs due to state requirements – unlike in some other parts of the country – but are still faced with the same cost pressures. The bill mirrors similar legislation passed recently in states such as California and Washington to focus more on market development.
If the bill is signed, Murphy will be expected to appoint members to the new council within 60 days, who will have one year to prepare a report. In addition to assessing existing markets for recyclable materials, the council will also be asked to explore a range of topics such as contamination reduction, local market development (including possible incentives for paper mills), procurement standards for recycled content and other relevant policy recommendations.
The Association of New Jersey Recyclers (ANJR), which has long been advocating for a revival of the state’s solid waste advisory committee, formed its own market development committee last year to kickstart discussions. S3939 stipulates that ANJR will be represented on this new state council. Executive Director Marie Kruzan told Waste Dive she sees an opportunity for the two groups to work together on finding solutions that could wind up in the recommendation report.
