Authorizing the Committee on Streets and Services to hold hearings regarding recycling, the low rate of recycling in the City currently, and potential methods to increase the recycling diversion rate.

WHEREAS, The Mayor’s Report on City Services for FY05 states that the City recycling rate is hovering around 5%; and

WHEREAS, City Code Section 10-717 requires that a minimum of thirty five percent of the waste generated in Philadelphia be diverted through recycling; and

WHEREAS, Despite this law being on the books since 1987, the City has made scant progress in achieving its goals; and

WHEREAS, Though Philadelphia was once considered a leader in recycling, the City now ranks 7th out of the top eight largest cities in recycling, lagging far behind leader Los Angeles which has a 45% diversion rate; and

WHEREAS, 95% of Philadelphia’s waste is disposed at landfills and incinerators to the detriment of the environment; and

WHEREAS, The Office of the City Controller released an audit which determined that improving the diversion rate would yield significant economic benefit to the City: for each 1% of diversion, $540,000 would be saved annually and up to $17 million would be saved at a 35 to 40% diversion; and

WHEREAS, Numerous options abound to improve recycling, including but not limited to, single stream and the Recycle Bank model; and

WHEREAS, Citizens have long had a strong and voice through the Recycling Advisory Committee, yet now the lack of progress has given rise to the Recycle Now Philadelphia Campaign, led by the Recycling Alliance of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, A new Recycling Coordinator, Joan L. Hicken, has recently been hired which when combined with the above facts, leads this Council to believe the time is ripe to greatly improve the recycling diversion rate; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we, in compliance with City Code Section 10-717, hereby authorize the Committee on Streets and Services to hold hearings regarding recycling, the low rate of recycling in the City currently, and potential methods to increase the recycling diversion rate.

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