Advocating a new Recycling Center

Shakespeare’s forgotten question: to recycle or not to recycle

I hope to convince the local government of my small community that it would be advantageous to develop and expand the nascent recycling program currently in operation. Presently, the program accepts only cardboard and certain forms of paper. Given that much of the available products sold in the community are packaged in some form of plastic, or use plastic containers it appears that expanding the program at least slightly would have a tremendous impact. Unfortunately, there are tremendous budget constraints. How can one convince the local government that over time the recycling center would be less capital intensive and more beneficial than the current waste management process?

Arguments for a recycling center:
· A state of the art recycling center could potentially attract new industry to the region. Specifically targeting firms that use recycled materials in their products could attract these industries
· A state of the art recycling center might also attract firms specializing in specific technologies i.e. technologies used in recycling
· The presence of a recycling center in the region might further develop the market for recycled goods in the region
· The initial capital for development could be defrayed by sharing resources, costs, and benefits with surrounding counties and communities
· Likewise the capital for development could be defrayed by sharing technology, research, internship opportunities, and costs with the local university
· Alone the recycling center has the potential to create new jobs
· A recycling center combined with public education could potentially mitigate additional harm to the local air and water quality
· Landfills are temporary solutions that eventually fill and close, must be monitored for perpetuity, and require the opening of new landfills
· A recycling center would prove cost effective over time, by limiting dependence upon a landfill including: transport fees, tipping fees, operation, maintenance, and monitoring of the landfill

However, there are viable arguments against pursuing an enlarged recycling program:
· High initial capital costs for construction of the center. Who pays for the development and building of the center?
· Limited impact. Would the center be used? According to Hans Tammemagi, author of The Waste Crisis, few communities achieve even a 50% rate of recycling consumer products (Tammemagi, 1999, p. 41) The local community does not have a conserver culture. Presumably, the recycling rate would be well below 50%
· Could a rural area attract the necessary industry to create a market for recycled material to support the center
· Would other counties and communities be willing to help defray the costs of building the center

In essence it appears that the important issues surrounding the building of a new recycling center would be economic. Would the new center have enough economic impact to offset the initial large investment of capital required to open and operate such a facility? Moreover, would it attract the necessary industries that would expand the market for recycled goods? It appears that a recycling center is a long term solution both economically and environmentally to the waste management issue. However, with budget constraints being what they are, how likely is it that I can convince local politicians that the total economic and environmental costs of landfill use is high enough to merit consideration of a new waste management plan?