On January 15, 2021, MACo Policy Associate Alex Butler testified virtually before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 164 Department of the Environment – Office of Recycling – Recycling Market Development. This bill would require the Maryland Department of the Environment to promote the development of new markets for recyclables.

From the MACo Testimony:

Markets for recycled commodities have seen sincere hardships in the last several years due to a decline in market demand from Asia. This harms local recycling efforts that rely on revenue from the sale of commodities to subsidize recycling efforts.

In Maryland, the State mandates that counties reach certain recycling goals, and central to the revenue keeping these programs viable is the sale of commodities. HB 164 would require the State offer some assistance by identifying new and existing local markets to keep recycled materials closer to where they were first used, thus reducing the costs and vehicle emissions associated with transporting commodities.

HB 164 would help identify new and existing recycled material markets that could allow local governments more opportunities to sell their commodities. This would help preserve successful existing recycling programs and avoid shifting more costs to residents.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2021 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database

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