Authorizing Philadelphia City Council's Committee on Streets and Services to hold public hearings investigating the city's recycling and sanitation programs.

WHEREAS, The average Philadelphian generates about 2000 pounds of trash per year; approximately 30% of this waste is incinerated, causing air pollution, and 70% is buried in landfills, leaking chemicals into the land and water; and

WHEREAS, In 1987, the City of Philadelphia passed Bill 1251A, Philadelphia's Mandatory Recycling Ordinance, the first mandatory recycling law in any major city in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Bill 1251A states as a goal that at least fifty percent (50%) of the City's total solid waste stream be recycled within four (4) years of the date of final enactment; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia's current recycling rate is 6.5%, well below 1991's goal of 50% and raking eighth of nine major U.S. cities with curbside recycling programs and populations over one million; and

WHEREAS, In most areas of the City, recycling occurs once every other week; Managing Director Goldsmith admitted in Council budget hearings that it may be necessary to cut collection to once per month; and

WHEREAS, The City has contracted with Smurfit Stone Recycling. Under the current contract Smurfit pays the City $32 - $40 per ton of collected paper; the City pays Smurfit $5 - $10 for processing commingled material. Under this agreement, the City collected approximately $1 million in revenue, last year; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Code requires that all residents must separate recyclable material and mandates a fine of $100 - $300 for each violation and despite an advertising campaign informing residents that individuals could be cited for not recycling, there has been no enforcement of Section 10-717; and

WHEREAS, The City spends approximately $40 million on refuse removal per year; now therefore

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Authorizes Philadelphia City Council's Committee on Streets and Services to hold public hearings investigating the City's recycling and sanitation programs.

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