Recycling's trash problem

Apr 11, 2023 View in browser   By Debra Kahn and Jordan Wolman THE BIG IDEA Waste haulers want to keep these in their trucks. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images TRASHING REFORMS — Haulers like taking out the trash — they're good at it. They're also good at lobbying. That's a problem for the coalition that advocates have cobbled together to push recycling reform across the country and in Congress, Jordan reports. Of some 13 states that have considered sweeping waste-reform bills in the past year, haulers have secured protections for themselves, watered down or outright blocked proposals in five of them. Without their cooperation, the U.S. will likely continue sending roughly half its waste to landfills. “The waste haulers are not at the table in a constructive way,” said Kate Bailey, chief policy officer for the Association of Plastic Recyclers, which includes plastic manufacturers as well as recycling companies. “They’re just taking the ‘no’ position.” At the heart of haulers' opposition to the recycling programs being proposed across the country is their potential to divert material — and funding — from their businesses. That's why they've pushed for amendments to extended producer responsibility bills in California, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut and other (mostly blue) states that are trying to get their arms around the growing waste problem. “All garbage is local,” said Anne Germain, the NWRA's senior vice president of regulatory and technical affairs. “We do make a lot of effort to lobby our state governments and federal government to make things better,” she said. “Certainly there are states that we try to be very active in how we approach state government. It would just be silly for us not to be involved.” Recent hauler wins include the demise of a Washington bill to tax packaging and put deposits on beverage containers; the removal of bottle bill language from a bill in Maryland; and the introduction of language in a Connecticut packaging bill that would delay implementation until at least four other states act, including at least one bordering Connecticut. The next fight for the waste industry could go national: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has announced plans to introduce a national bottle bill as early as this month. While the plastics and aluminum industries have voiced support in theory, the waste industry has already come out opposed, calling it a tax and a “disruptive burden.” Recycling advocates know they have their work cut out for them. "They built their entire business in materials management — of course they're scared of a change this fundamental to their business, and rightfully so," said Heidi Sanborn, founder and executive director of the National Stewardship Action Council, a nonprofit working on state and federal legislation. "They have to agree to this or it won't work, or they will kill it."   GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat.     Sustainable Finance FIXING A HOLE — World Bank/International Monetary Fund meetings this week are raising the curtain on the financial institutions' attempts to better respond to 21st-century problems, climate change chief among them, Sara Schonhardt reports for POLITICO's E&E News. The U.S. has been calling for more climate lending; the World Bank's "evolution road map" released last month outlines ways it can free up additional capital at a time of growing need. That’s likely to put this week's focus on short-term fixes, such as how the bank can revise its lending rules, take on more risk and mobilize more private sector capital for green growth. This week’s meetings will also begin to address how deeply climate finance is interwoven with debt distress and the need to rehabilitate the broader multilateral development bank system. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is pushing a "Bridgetown Agenda," backed by French President Emmanuel Macron and others, to put natural-disaster clauses into lending terms to help countries pay for climate-related damages when they occur. SHORT ON ASPIRATION — A climate-focused financial services firm backed by Hollywood stars is running short on cash and planning to lay off about 45 percent of its staff, Corbin Hiar reports for POLITICO's E&E News. Aspiration Partners Inc., a fintech firm that offers credit and carbon offsets to consumers and corporations, is going to lay off 180 of its nearly 400 employees "in light of current economic conditions and the limited capital available to the Company," it said in a filing late last month. The company was founded 10 years ago by former CEO Andrei Cherny, a speechwriter for then-Vice President Al Gore, and former board member Joe Sanberg, a startup investor. It was once valued at $2.3 billion and attracted early investments from actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Orlando Bloom, but its plans to go public via SPAC have been repeatedly delayed. EXTREMES TAKING THE HEAT — The Biden administration is expected to release a draft proposal today for potentially, eventually, cutting deliveries from the Colorado River, the over-allocated, drought-stricken water source for 40 million people and 5 million acres of farmland across seven Western states. It's a political minefield, pitting California — which has farmers with the most-senior water rights on the river — against Arizona, the junior-most user, as Annie Snider reports. California wants to put off any cuts, while Arizona and the other five states want them as soon as next year. But wait — hasn't all the rain made it better? Yes, in that hydropower production and downstream deliveries are no longer in immediate danger of falling before the end of the year. But everyone is aware that one wet year may mean nothing the next, especially with climate change. If water deliveries aren’t reduced in 2024, said Chuck Cullom, executive director of the Upper Colorado River Commission, which includes Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, “then we will be having this same Groundhog Day conversation in August of 2024.” To the administration's credit, it's not using the reprieve to let itself off the hook. Interior is making the point that it can use these rules anytime in the next three years, while overarching rules are being crafted to take effect in 2026. “One good precipitation year cannot make up for 23 years of drought and strain on the system,” Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said last week on a call with reporters. YOU TELL US  MAILBAG REQUEST — Do you know of large buildings (residential or government) constructed within the past decade that have needed significant repairs due to weather-related flooding or storm damage? Help us investigate the impact of climate change by telling us the addresses — email our E&E News reporter Corbin Hiar at chiar@eenews.net. GAME ON — Welcome to the Long Game, where we tell you about the latest on efforts to shape our future. We deliver data-driven storytelling, compelling interviews with industry and political leaders, and news Tuesday through Friday to keep you in the loop on sustainability. Team Sustainability is editor Greg Mott, deputy editor Debra Kahn and reporters Jordan Wolman and Allison Prang. Reach us all at gmott@politico.com, dkahn@politico.com, jwolman@politico.com and aprang@politico.com. Want more? Don’t we all. Sign up for the Long Game. Four days a week and still free! WHAT WE'RE CLICKING — General Motors plans to announce further expansion of its investment in lithium extraction technology as it aims to ensure supply of the metal for EV batteries, Reuters reports. — Some of the world’s largest financial firms have been playing an unseen role in depleting California’s groundwater, according to a Bloomberg Green investigation. — Heavy winter snow in the West has enhanced chances of making the Great Salt Lake great again. The Washington Post has that story.   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.       Follow us on Twitter Debra Kahn @debra_kahn Greg Mott @gwmott Jordan Wolman @jordanwolman Allison Prang @AllisonPrang   Follow us

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