In July of this past summer, the state of California cut processing payments to its more than 2400 recycling centers by 85%. Bad news? Yes. What's even worse is that on November 1st, the state suddenly cut all processing payments to all of its recycling centers. The state's action causes many severe consequences such as the ones outlined in this report by "Californians Against Waste". Some include: closure of 1100 recycling centers, 5000 people employed in the recycling industry out of work, a $100 million increase in consumer prices for beverages and the closure of 90 recycling centers already.
Why is this happening? Too much recycling. Since 1986, California has charged its customers a small price for every beverage container bought. When Californians recycle at a recycling center, the money is reimbursed to them, cycling money from the recycling industry back to the people. However, since for the past decades the recycling rate was only about 50%, the recycling industry ran a huge surplus. The excess money was usually used to help the recycling program's administrative services as well as shipping and handling of recyclables. However, now that the recycling rate has soared (85% as of 2009), yes the environment is saved, but the money that is usually gained when people don't recycle is now back in the pockets of the people who do recycle. However, this takes away from what the money used to be used for: administrative services for the program. As more and more centers shut down, the recycling rate also drops. One recycling center manager said that it might even drop to the level it was decades ago, defeating the purpose of recycling in the first place.
Gov. Schwarzenegger last month vetoed Senate Bill 402, which would have increased the recycling program's revenue by including recycling of more containers, including those that contain soy and vegetable drinks. Why he vetoed it... I don't know.
I really don't know what to say about this terrible news. I have always strived to recycle, but what happens if there's no centers to do the recycling for me? It's certainly disappointing that California, which I thought of as a green leader of the United States, cannot even recycle correctly anymore. I wonder if it would be plausible to send California's recyclables to another state's centers. I'd hate to see all those perfectly good resources go into a landfill.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
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3 comments:
Schwarzenegger did this ultimately because of the economy. Cuts in education and even the environment? I love how our generation gets to deal with all of this...
Fa sho katie wayne. you know watsup. But for real, I feel like there are many possible solutions to this lack of revenue. Maybes if that governor of ours took a lil time ya dig? I feel like a slight increase on a drink would be a possibility. Encouraging people to do it for the Earth and not for monetary reasons. There have to be some serious solutions, and I have faith theres some intelligence that can think of compromises before we just shut everything down. Watsup Katie Wayne lets get on it we out.
WHAT?! This makes me so angry!! I've been a dedicated environmental friendly recycle freak for almost 2 years now and I found out that California has stopped funding recycling plants.
As a matter of fact, I was planning to take all my cans and bottles to the recycling plant nearby just after finals!
I think this is a huge opportunity for Aragon's Environmental Impact Committee (EIC), Recycling Club, and AP Environmental Science classes to show how much Aragon cares about the environment and take action against Schwarzenegger's actions.
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