Bill > S454

This bill mandates the establishment of performance standards for reducing municipal solid waste, which refers to trash and refuse generated by households and businesses within a city or town. The commissioner of environmental protection is tasked with setting these standards by July 1, 2015, to align with the commonwealth's master plan for solid waste and its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fostering green jobs. Specifically, the department of environmental protection will set targets for the amount of solid waste disposed of per person, aiming to reduce it to no more than 600 pounds per capita by July 1, 2016, and further to 450 pounds per capita by July 1, 2021. To help municipalities meet these goals, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs, in consultation with relevant departments, will develop an action plan by October 1, 2015, which will assess current recycling programs and suggest improvements, including potential changes to existing environmental plans. Cities and towns will be required to report their solid waste disposal data annually, and those failing to meet the initial reduction targets by July 1, 2016, must submit a plan to achieve the later targets. The department will then publish a report detailing per capita disposal statistics for all municipalities, which may exclude waste beyond a town's control, such as that from natural disasters.