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A.(1)  In order to enhance the beauty and quality of our environment; conserve and recycle our natural resources; prevent the spread of disease and the creation of nuisances; protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and provide a coordinated statewide solid waste resource recovery and management program, the legislature finds that inefficient and improper methods of managing solid waste create hazards to public health, cause pollution of air and water resources, constitute a waste of natural resources, have an adverse effect on land values, and create public nuisances.  Problems of solid waste management have become a matter statewide in scope and necessitate state action to promote more efficient methods of solid waste collection and disposal.  The economic and population growth of our state and the improvements in the standard of living enjoyed by our population have required increased industrial production together with related commercial and agricultural operations to meet our needs, which have resulted in a rising tide of unwanted and discarded materials.  The failure or inability to economically recover material and energy resources from solid waste results in the unnecessary waste and depletion of our natural resources, and, therefore, maximum resource recovery from solid waste and maximum recycling and reuse of such resources must be considered goals of the state.  

(2)  It is declared to be the purpose of this Section to provide a program for state agencies to use degradable or recyclable plastics in the most economically feasible, cost-effective, and environmentally safe manner the storage, collection, transport, separation, processing, recycling, and disposal of solid waste in order to protect the public safety, health, and welfare and enhance the environment for the people of this state.  

B.  State agencies are hereby requested and authorized to use in their daily operations degradable or recyclable plastic materials in those instances when it is appropriate and economically feasible.  Any such agency shall consult with the Department of Environmental Quality to determine the degradable or recyclable plastic materials available to be used.  

C.  The Department of Environmental Quality is hereby directed upon request by a state agency to assist in that agency’s use of degradable or recyclable plastics where appropriate and economically feasible.  The Department of Environmental Quality shall provide a plan for use of degradable or recyclable plastics to any state agency requesting assistance to convert to the use of degradable or recyclable plastics.  

Acts 1989, No. 572, §1, eff. July 6, 1989.