WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

No. 13

(House Joint Resolution No. 24)

A House Joint Resolution concerning

Maryland Packaging and Solid Waste Advisory Council

FOR the purpose of requesting the Secretary of the Environment to create a Solid Waste
Advisory Council to study the issue of packaging as it relates to recycling and to make
certain related recommendations; providing for the composition, chairman, and staff
of the Advisory Council; and requiring a certain report by a certain date.

WHEREAS, The 1988 Maryland Recycling Act establishes a goal for recycling the
State's solid waste; and

WHEREAS, In order to achieve State recycling goals, it is necessary to address issues
relating to:

(1)     Improvement in recycling markets;

(2)     Reduction in the amount of materials that may cause environmental
problems when incinerated or placed in a landfill;

(3)     Discouragement of multimaterial packaging which cannot be easily
recycled;

(4)     Encouraging manufacturers of plastics to encode their products with symbols
which identify the types of plastic resins used in manufacturing so as to simplify the recycling
process and make it profitable for collectors and manufacturers; and

(4) (5) Reduction in the amount of packaging waste; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Secretary of the Environment is requested to create a Maryland Packaging and Solid Waste
Advisory Council to:

(1)     Study the issue of packaging as it relates to recycling; and

(2)     Recommend measures to facilitate recycling and reduce the toxicity of
packaging waste in Maryland; and be it further

RESOLVED, That: the Advisory Council shall consist of the following 13 members:

(1)     1 member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of the
Senate;

(2)     1 member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(3)     1 member of the solid waste minimization staff of the Department of the
Environment, appointed by the Secretary of the Environment;

(4)     2 representatives of the packaging industry, appointed by the Governor;

(5)     2 representatives of an environmental group, appointed by the Governor;

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