By Leslie Nemo, Waste Dive
- Georgia voters recently approved a constitutional amendment directing the state legislature to dedicate tax or fee revenue levied for a specific purpose to only be spent on those given purposes. This could have notable implications by redirecting more funding to hazardous waste clean up, landfill management and recycling and waste reduction programs.
- Since 2009, only $56 million of the $154 million collected for the state’s Hazardous Waste Trust Fund has been used for intended purposes. Meanwhile, the Solid Waste Trust Fund collected $73 million and saw $22 million go to intended uses. This is according to Georgia Recycling Economic Development Partners, which backed the amendment.
- Some area recycling professionals believe the newly bolstered funding could help prioritize more than $1 million per year for a range of recycling initiatives in a state that was limited by budget cuts years ago. This could include research, a new staff position, educational resources and local program grants.
This is welcome news for regional recycling professionals at a time when funding has been limited, but it still doesn’t mean funding collected will automatically and perpetually be spent only on intended activities. The amendment still requires the state legislature to pass another bill confirming each trust fund will continue. Once passed, the fund (and fees levied to fill it) will expire after 10 years.
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