NJSPOTLIGHT offered one of the more in depth articles on recycling that I have read in the past several months. There are several key elements raised in this article about New Jersey’s recycling program.

1. The Christie Administration must stop diverting money from New Jersey’s recycling program that we pay for in our solid waste disposal taxes. In just two years, this administration has diverted $41 million to the general fund.

This money should have been used for grants to municipalities, education funding and improved communication. Instead, due a SEVERE lack of leadership on the part of the Governor, it was raided to plug holes in the budget.

2. We need to educate, educate and educate more….Due to the complexity and variety of products on the market, and the myriad of recycling options and limitations on those products, the public needs to receive constant information about recycling. Studies on recycling behavior have shown that when people are either confused about recycling, or doubt what to do, they do nothing or the wrong thing with the material.

3. The legislature needs to stop proposing bottle bills and bag fees in order to add a hidden tax for some third party purpose. The last thing that recycling needs is to have more confusion and fees.

Oh, there is much more to do, but these are good starts.

Read the full article:
Explainer: Separating Rubbish from Reality for NJ’s Recycling