WHEREAS, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority is charged with achieving the goal of reducing per capita disposal by 50% from its adjusted 1990 levels by the year 2000; and

WHEREAS, the commitment of Del Norte County to the recovery of plastics through our community recycling programs has extended over 10 years; and

WHEREAS, the capacity of the Crescent City Landfill is anticipated to be depleted within the next three years and subsequent future disposal costs are anticipated to rise significantly; and

WHEREAS, in 1992 plastics occupied more than 20% of landfill space nationwide, and that by the year 2000 plastics will occupy more than a quarter of landfill space nationwide; and

WHEREAS, between 1990 and 1996, virgin production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the primary plastic used to make soda bottles, has expanded so dramatically that for every additional pound of PET recycled during this period over 3 pounds of additional virgin resin was produced resulting in a dramatic net increase in the proportion of PET in the waste stream; and

WHEREAS, the 1997 Del Norte Discard Study showed that although PET was the most recycled plastic in our County, only 21% was recycled and this is far short of our 50% diversion mandate; and

WHEREAS, while the market value of recycled PET has varied widely over the years, the market conditions prevailing now and in recent years have contributed to declining recycling rates for PET bottles each year since 1994; and

WHEREAS, FDA-approved technology exists today to incorporate recycled PET into new beverage containers, and proven technology for refillable plastic bottles also exists, and in fact both of these processes are being used by major soft-drink bottlers in nations throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, it is widely acknowledged that the use of recycled PET in the production of beverage containers would have an enormous positive impact on the value of recycled PET;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority support all residents and businesses of Del Norte County as they encourage all soft drink manufacturers to use recycled plastic in their packages; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority supports national, state and local campaigns to encourage the use of FDA-approved recycled plastic in packaging.

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