Current POLICY Issues
2022 SOLID WASTE MATTERS Bill, also KNOWN AS INDIANA Hea 1226
Circular Indiana was excited to play a key role in drafting portions of this bill and supporting it during the 2022 Indiana legislative session. Our efforts helped unlock an additional $4M for recycling infrastructure investments in Marion County for the upcoming year and raised awareness in the legislature of the needs and opportunities for investing in the circular economy in Indiana. Our involvement was limited to the Central Indiana Waste Diversion Pilot Project; it does not cover the other parts of the bill related to the definition of solid waste, adoption of federal rules by the Environmental Rules Board, or the regulation of coal combustion residuals.
PAST POLICY POSITIONS
2014 2016 DIRTY MRF OPPOSITION
2014 HB 1183 INDIANA’S 50% RECYCLING GOAL
Assisted in Passage of Indiana’s 50% Recycling Goal
2013 Defended Indiana’s State Solid Waste Management Fund
2009 HB 1589 E-WASTE RECYCLING
Electronics and E-waste Management
2004 ELECTRONICS AND E-WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Indiana Recycling Coalition led the E-Scrap Action Program (ESAP). ESAP is a project that targets electronics waste (e-scrap) as a major priority for waste management in the state of Indiana, because this waste stream can be hazardous to the environment and costly to manage. The initial phase of this successful process resulted in a series of preliminary recommendations from a multi-stakeholder group. The recommendations present ways in which the state can address the issue of e-scrap from policy, regulatory, legislative and educational perspectives. The recommendations fall into six interrelated areas: Public education, Funding mechanisms, Landfill/incinerator disposal ban, Prison Partnerships, Procurement, and Asset Management.
2002 ELECTRONICS AND E-WASTE MANAGEMENT
The IRC supported proper end-of-life management of electronics within the state as an important priority for the protection of the environment and public health in Indiana communities.
The IRC supported electronics end-of-life management as a high priority on the national, state and local levels.
The IRC supported a funding mechanism to offset the financial burden of electronics end-of-life programs to Indiana communities.
The IRC supported a strategy for electronics end-of-life management that embraces the full waste management hierarchy of reduction, reuse and recycling.
The IRC supported long-term producer responsibility to encourage electronic product manufacturers to design, manufacture, and distribute products that contain a minimum of hazardous material and are as reusable and recyclable as possible.
1999 THE ROLE OF INDIANA’S SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS
Solid Waste Management Districts are an essential part of the State of Indiana’s efforts to reach waste diversion goals. Districts provide the framework for the development of source reduction, reuse, recycling and composting programs. These programs are the fundamental tools for accomplishing the goals mandated in HEA 1240.
1997 HEA 1339 AND IDEM’S POLICY TO DEVELOP NONRULE POLICIES
The Indiana Recycling Coalition supported the procedures used by IDEM in developing the non-rule policy and agreed that the process provided all stakeholders the ability to comment.
The Indiana Recycling Coalition supported the new non-rule policy for IDEM’s source reduction and recycling grants program, as it related to HEA 1339.
1997 IDEM’S GRANTS FOR BUSINESSES AND STATE GOVERNMENT
The Indiana Recycling Coalition agreed that the eligibility requirements for business grants should remain the same as those requirements currently in place, as of November 1997.
The Indiana Recycling Coalition agreed that state agencies should have access to IDEM grants.
1995 INDIANA’S YARD WASTE BAN AND METHANE RECOVERY EXEMPTION
The Indiana Recycling Coalition supported a ban on all yard waste from Indiana landfills.
The Indiana Recycling Coalition supported the repeal of the methane recovery exemption from the Indiana yard waste ban.