It's time that Michigan residents stand up for recycling. It's time our state stopped the endless stream of waste to landfills, where the millions of recyclable items end their usefulness.
Recycling means jobs for Michigan residents. Every item recycled, rather than landfilled, creates new jobs in the collection, processing and remanufacturing of the recycled product. Landfilling creates only growing mounds of trash.
But recycling continues to languish in Michigan. We have long neglected this environment – and jobs – opportunity in our state. Now is the time to change that, by supporting House Bill 5163, the Penny Plan for Recycling Makes Cent$ plan.
The Penny Plan recognizes that everything has a disposal consideration. Therefore, every time an individual makes a retail purchase over $2, he or she would pay a single penny to help cover the cost of recycling in Michigan. That's a single penny on the entire purchase – a purchase of $100 would be one penny, the same as a purchase of $5 or $500.
The estimated 4.2 billion pennies ($42 million annually) will go to a dedicated fund to support recycling. The penny could not increase and the money collected could not be used for other programs or moved into the state general fund. The money would support existing recycling programs, aid in starting new programs, and provide funds for those involved in the processing and collection of recyclable materials.
