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RECYCLING
STATUTORY AUTHORITYState Statute 81-15,159
Legislative findings and intent; state purchases; preference requirements.
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The
Legislature hereby finds and declares that:
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Some
landfills operating with or without a permit in Nebraska exhibit
numerous operational and management practices which are inconsistent
with proper landfill management and permit requirements, and the owners
and operators of such landfills should be encouraged to cooperate and
work with the Department of Environmental Quality to ensure that the
air, land, and water of this state are not polluted;
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Some landfills in
Nebraska are reaching capacity and the siting of a new location can be a
financially expensive and socially disruptive process, and because of
this situation all Nebraska citizens and businesses are encouraged to
implement waste reduction measures that will result in a reduction of
waste entering landfills by at least twenty-five percent;
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Recycling and waste
reduction are necessary components of any well-managed waste management
system and can extend the lifespan of a landfill and provide alternative
waste management options; and
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The state can encourage
recycling by the example of its own purchase and use of recycled and
recyclable materials. The state can also encourage recycling and waste
reduction by the creation of funding grants which support existing and
future waste management systems.
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It is the intent of the
Legislature that the state, as a major consumer and an example for others,
should assist resource recovery by making a concerted effort to use
recyclable and recycled products and encourage other levels of government
and the private sector to follow its example. When purchasing products,
materials, or supplies for use by the State of Nebraska, the Department of
Administrative Services, the University of Nebraska, and any other state
agency making such purchases shall give preference to and purchase products,
materials, and supplies which are manufactured or produced from recycled
material or which can be readily reused or recycled after their normal use.
Preference shall also be given to the purchase of corn-based biodegradable
plastics and road deicers, depending on the availability and suitability of
such products. Such preference shall not operate when it would result in the
purchase of products, materials, or supplies which are of inadequate quality
or substantially higher cost.
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