§ 263 — Waste reduction and recycling program

§ 263. Waste reduction and recycling program. 1. When used in this\nsection, "solid waste" or "waste" shall have the same meaning as is\nfound in subdivision one of section 27-0701 of the environmental\nconservation law, but shall not include source, special nuclear or\nby-product material as defined in the atomic energy act of 1954, as\namended, or hazardous waste which appears on the list or satisfies the\ncharacteristics of hazardous waste promulgated pursuant to section\n27-0903 of the environmental conservation law, or low level radioactive\nwaste as defined in section 29-0101 of the environmental conservation\nlaw.\n 2. The department shall serve as a clearinghouse for information\npertaining to the reduction and recycling of solid waste generated by\ncommercial and industrial enterprises, including the potential for such\nenterprises to coordinate their activities with existing and potential\nlocal recycling programs, and on methods and strategies which commercial\nand industrial enterprises within the state can undertake to reduce\nwaste generation.\n 3. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of\nenvironmental conservation, is hereby authorized and directed to confer\nand cooperate with authorities of other states and of the United States\nwith respect to the development of regional markets for secondary\nmaterials and the reduction of waste from residential, commercial and\nindustrial activities.\n 4. The department shall provide to the governor, the legislature, and\nlocal governments on or before January first, nineteen hundred ninety\nand annually thereafter, a report assessing the status of commercial and\nindustrial waste reduction and the development of markets for secondary\nmaterials, and all other aspects of solid waste management for which the\ndepartment is responsible. Such report shall include evaluations\nprepared in consultation with the department of environmental\nconservation and the environmental facilities corporation of the\nexpected levels of waste reduction from present and future utilization\nof such practices, the anticipated effectiveness of such practices in\nmeeting waste reduction goals, and associated savings due to avoided\nhandling and disposal costs and program implementation costs. This\nreport may be consolidated with the report required by subdivision\nfourteen of section two hundred sixty-one of this article.\n