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RESOLUTION 92-20677 • RESOLUTION NO. 92-20677 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ENDORSING THE FLORIDA PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP' S (PIRG) REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE CAMPAIGN; AND URGING THE GOVERNOR, THE FLORIDA STATE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD DEVELOP RECYCLING MARKETS AND ESTABLISH A FLORIDA BOTTLE BILL. WHEREAS, Florida, according to the Department of Environmental Regulation, generates more than 19 million tons of garbage a year, or 8 . 3 pounds per person per day; and WHEREAS, the problems associated with burning and burying our garbage coincides with the growing public realization that the materials we have been discarding -- particularly paper, glass, metal and plastic -- are valuable resources, and that reusing them to make new products and packages saves energy, reduces pollution, and conserves natural resources; and WHEREAS, the State of Florida and many local governments face ever-rising costs to close landfills, site and build new landfills, haul waste long distances, and are increasingly experiencing problems marketing their collected recyclables; and WHEREAS, the Bottle Bill, which places a five-ten cent refundable deposit on all carbonated beverage containers, is the most effective and efficient recycling measure ever enacted, achieving recycling rates of 72-95+% in nine states, all of which also have successful curbside and other government-run recycling programs; and WHEREAS, recycling is not accomplished until collected recyclable materials are actually utilized as recycled content in the manufacture of new products and package; and WHEREAS, government and citizens alone can only partially ensure the success of recycling in the State, because government has relatively little to do with producing and consuming materials that become waste, and successful recycling requires the institutional involvement of industry. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the City of Miami Beach endorses Florida PIRG' s Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle campaign, and endorses its efforts to pass the following measures into law: 1 . Develop Recycling Markets - increased recycled content in newspaper and packaging will help solve the lack of markets for increasing amounts of recyclable material separated by the public and collected by local governments for recycling. 2 . The Bottle Bill - the most proven packaging recycling system in existence, run entirely by the distributors, retailers and consumers who use beverage containers, achieving recycling rates of 72-95% in nine states. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, hereby encourages and requests Governor Lawton Chiles, the Florida State Senate and House of Representatives to pass legislation that would develop recycling markets and establish a Florida Bottle Bill. // PASSED and APPROVED this 2nd day f Decembe l• •2 . !!( MAYOR ATTEST: FORM APPROVED 11;1160k"..4 LEGAL DEPT. CITY CLERK BY RMC: EC: jh Date CITY OF MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA 33139 OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER TELEPHONE: (305) 673-7010 FAX: (305) 673-7782 COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO, -71.:1 -017 TO: Mayor Seymour Gelber and DATE: December 2, 1992 Members of the City Commission FROM: Roger M. C-rltj City Manager t/1 SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ENDORSING FLORIDA PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP'S (PIRG) REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE 13R'S) CAMPAIGN TO CREATE A MARKET FOR RECYCLABLES AND ESTABLISHING A STATEWIDE "BOTTLE BILL" ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION: The City Administration recommends that the City Commission authorize approval of the Florida Public Interest Research Group's (PIRG) request for City endorsement of their Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3R' s) Campaign. This campaign focuses on creating a market for recyclables and passing a statewide Bottle Bill, which places a 5-10 cent refundable deposit on a l l carbonated beverage containers. BACKGROUND: According to the State of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER) , Florida generates more than 19 million tons of garbage a year, or 8. 3 pounds per person per day. The per capita generation is expected to grow at one percent per year and the population at 1.7 percent per year. The problems associated with burning and burying our garbage dovetail with the growing public realization that the materials we have been throwing away--particularly paper, glass, metal and plastic--are valuable resources and that reusing these resources to make new products and packages saves energy, reduces pollution and conserves natural resources. In 1988, the Florida Legislature passed the Solid Waste Management Act (SWMA) , a law requiring the State's Counties to achieve a 30 percent recycling rate for their municipal solid waste (MSW) by 1994 . The State of Florida and many local governments face ever-rising costs to close landfills, site and build new landfills, haul waste long distances and are increasingly experiencing problems marketing their collected recyclables. ANALYSIS: Recycling is not accomplished until collected recyclable materials are actually utilized as recycled content in the manufacture of new products and packaging. Government and citizens alone can only partially ensure the success of recycling in the State, because government has relatively little to do with producing and consuming materials that become waste, and successful recycling requires the institutional involvement of industry. continued. . . AGENDA ITEM AT 2_- 2 D E Comm. Memo. /PIRG's Reduce, Reuse Page 2 and Recycle (3R's) Campaign CONCLUSION: Develop Recycling Markets - increased recycled content in newspaper and packaging will help solve the lack of markets for increasing amounts of recyclable material separated by the public land collected by local governments for recycling. The "Bottle Bill" - the most proven packaging recycling system in existence, run entirely by the distributors, retailers and consumers who use beverage containers, achieving recycling rates of 72-95% in nine (9) states. RMC:EC:blb Attachments 1t9 RESOLUTION NO. 92-20677 Endorsing the Florida Public Interest Research Group's (PIRG) reduce, reuse, and recycle campaign; and urging the Governor, the Florida State Senate and the House of Representatives to pass legislation that would develop recycling markets and establish a Florida Bottle :w. : Bill.