RECYCLING -- WISCONSIN PLAYS HARDBALL 

Politicians and citizens everywhere are big on talking about the environment because everybody is becoming aware of it. But not many people really do anything about it. But the people in Wisconsin, a state no one has accused of being polluted, are moving fast to keep that state clean.

A state law signed into force by Governor Tommy G. Thompson a year ago and now coming into effect, outlines a vast, all-encompassing effort to banish throw-away habits. The law will affect business, buildings, education, hospitals, what they term "a responsible unit" and indirectly Canadian paper producers. A "responsible unit" is a municipality or country that agrees to participate and enforce environment regulations. Your community doesn't want to participate? Effective in 1995, only "responsible units" will have access to landfills and incinerators. Could be embarrassing when citizens demand garbage pickup and town hall has no place to put it. After June 30, 1991, state grants will go to "responsible units" that help keep the environment green. Some of the rough rules built into the law may surprise: Batteries banned from all dump sites as of now and yard wastes banned from all dump sites January 1, 1993. On January 1, 1995 the sledgehammer really comes down (see box).

The state makes priorities clear: 1. Reduce, 2. Re-use, 3. Recycle 4. Compost 5. Incinerate with energy recovery 6. Dispose on land and 7. Incinerate without energy recovery

Grants are available for manufacturers who use more recycled goods as raw materials and demonstration grants are available for innovative waste reduction and recycling projects.

Government departments, including schools, are instructed to purchase recyclable products and avoid single-use disposable products. Bye, bye Kleenex. All paper purchased by state and local governments must meet the following criteria: recycled or recovered paper, measured as a proportion by weight, of all paper products (books, newspapers, or whatever), must be 10 percent in 1991, 25 percent in 1993 and 40 percent in 1995. To assist in this goal the state will offer "reasonably priced" state contract recycled paper that meets those criteria.

New and renovated buildings must have a designated area and space devoted to collection, temporary storage and recycling of materials. Out-of-state wastes could still get in but at rates only applicable for throwing away diamonds. One other exception for landfill dumping: waste material worth more than $40 a ton can be left for resale (by the state). Solomon must have written that paragraph.

The one item that will hit the Canadian pulp industry is that in 1992 Wisconsin publishers must meet recycled content requirements for newspapers. Content percentages are: 10 percent in 1992, 25 percent in 1994 and 45 percent in 2001 and thereafter. Think what that means to the Canadian and U.S. forest industry when they know almost half of the paper they produced won't be coming from trees. It'll be from recycled paper!

Littering fines, with local responsible unit enforcement, jump from $200 to $500. Diaper services and cloth diapers are exempted from sales and use taxes.

There is much more but here is the official state timetable: ----------------------------------------------------------------TIMETABLE OF ITEMS BANNED FROM LANDFILLS AND/OR INCINERATORS 1991 Beginning January 1, 1991, the following items may not be put in landfills or burned in incinerators:

1. lead acid (vehicle) batteries 2. major appliances (air conditioners, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, freezers, microwave ovens, ovens, refrigerators and stoves) 3. waste oil (except for burning for energy recovery)

1993 Beginning January 1, 1993, yard wastes may not be put in a landfill or burned in an incinerator that does not recover energy.

1995 Beginning January 1, 1995, the following items may not be put in a landfill, converted to fuel or incinerated: 1. aluminum containers 2. corrugated paper and other container board 3. foam polystyrene (in pieces and in molds used as protective packaging and in cups and plates used for serving food or beverages) 4. glass containers 5. magazines and other material printed on similar paper 6. newspapers and other materials printed on newsprint 7. office paper 8. plastic containers 9. steel containers 10. waste tires (except when converting to fuel or burning to recover energy) 11. bi-metal steel/aluminum containers for carbonated and malt beverages ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you feel strongly abut the environment you may want to clip and send this column to your local politicians.

More information: Recycling Unit, Bureau of Information and Education, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Phone: 608/276-7375.

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