2019 PRRP meeting
The Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership (PRRP) in alliance with the US Environmental Protection Agency organized the first PRRP meeting of 2019. Key discussed topics included: the current capacity of landfills in Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Irma and María; strategies for disaster debris management; Pay As You Throw policies; the consequences of the new restrictions of China’s National Sword Policy regarding contamination of recyclable commodities, and the future of the PRRP.
Highlights of the meeting
-The group reviewed and agreed that the Options Report previously developed by PRRP is still a relevant and usable document. -Focus on reduction initiatives to remove items that are difficult to recycle/dispose of. -A regional approach to managing traditional recyclables (paper, metal, plastic, glass) is needed to obtain the volumes needed for successful recycling market development. -Organics should be treated differently: managed at the municipal level to reduce transportation costs and increase capacity for storm debris management (resiliency) -Increased transparency in data collection for recycling and disposal rates. This information is difficult to obtain but very valuable for proper planning and implementation of programs. -Develop on-island markets *reactivate the market development working group* -PRRP membership contributed to the development of guidelines for legislation of organics management facilities in Puerto Rico -it was discussed that the PRRP is a repository of information for all partnership |