Bill Text: PA HR159 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging State agencies and communities, businesses and residents of this Commonwealth to adopt zero-waste initiatives.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-31 - Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY [HR159 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR159-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1347
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 159 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY DAVIS, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, D. COSTA, DELISSIO, DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, MAHONEY, MANN, M. O'BRIEN, ROSS, SABATINA AND SWANGER, MARCH 31, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MARCH 31, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Urging State agencies and communities, businesses and residents
of this Commonwealth to adopt zero-waste initiatives.
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth is committed to protecting and
enhancing environmental quality now and for future generations;
and
WHEREAS, In 2008, Pennsylvania's residents, businesses and
institutions disposed of an estimated 18.5 million tons of solid
waste in landfill disposal; and
WHEREAS, The placement of materials in landfills can cause
damage to human health, wastes natural resources and wrongly
transfers liabilities to future generations; and
WHEREAS, Waste prevention, reuse, recycling and composting
are material management options that conserve resources while
reducing environmental impacts; and
WHEREAS, Increased recycling and composting will increase the
cost-efficiency of local, publicly supported recycling
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facilities and programs; and
WHEREAS, Increased recycling saves energy, water and natural
resources, reduces air and water pollution, reduces the damage
caused by extracting resources from the environment and reduces
the need for landfill facilities; and
WHEREAS, Consumers are currently forced to assume the high
financial cost of collecting, recycling and disposing of
materials; and
WHEREAS, Increasingly, the Federal Government, as well as
international governments and national and international
organizations, are adopting the policy that the financial
responsibility of collecting, recycling and disposing of
materials belongs with producers; and
WHEREAS, Producers should design products to ensure that they
can be safely recycled into the marketplace or nature; and
WHEREAS, Most types of waste streams can be eliminated
through across-the-board minimum recycling content laws, the use
of nontoxic alternatives in product design and local composting
facilities; and
WHEREAS, Some presently nonrecyclable materials are necessary
for public health and national security; and
WHEREAS, Voluntary recycling goals have not achieved, and in
all probability, cannot achieve waste elimination; and
WHEREAS, Government is ultimately responsible for leading by
example and establishing criteria needed to eliminate waste so
that manufacturers produce and businesses sell materials that
can be safely recycled or composted; and
WHEREAS, The zero waste philosophy accepts that the earth's
ability to support life is finite and that natural resources
must be used in the most efficient and sustainable way possible;
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and
WHEREAS, The guiding principles of zero waste are:
(1) managing resources instead of waste;
(2) conserving natural resources through waste
prevention and recycling;
(3) turning discarded resources into jobs and new
products instead of trash;
(4) promoting products and materials that are durable
and recyclable; and
(5) discouraging products and materials that can become
trash after their use;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge all State
agencies and communities, businesses and residents of this
Commonwealth to adopt zero-waste initiatives in an effort to
enrich the lives of future generations.
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