Sec. 01.01.2017.13. Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Plan for Maryland (Rescinds Executive Order 01.01.2015.01)

A. Definitions.

(1) “Department” means the Maryland Department of the Environment.

(2) “Source reduction” means the prevention of waste through changes in the way products are designed, manufactured, packaged, purchased, and used.

B. Sustainable Materials Management Policy. It is the policy of the State that solid waste and recycling planning should, to the extent practicable, seek to:

(1) Minimize the environmental impacts of materials management over their entire life cycles, including from product design to production, consumption, and end-of-life management;

(2) Conserve and extend existing in-State disposal capacity through source reduction, reuse, and recycling;

(3) Capture and make optimal use of recovered resources, including raw materials, water, energy, and nutrients; and

(4) Work toward a system of materials management that is both environmentally and economically sustainable in the long term.

C. Goals and Measurement.

(1) Stakeholder Consultation. The Department shall consult with relevant stakeholders to assess and improve the State’s methodology for tracking waste generation, recycling, and source reduction in Maryland.

(2) Following stakeholder consultation, the Department shall:

(a) Recommend to the Governor a method of obtaining business source reduction and recycling data;

(b) Establish an improved method of quantifying and tracking the statewide recycling and source reduction rates; and

(c) Establish voluntary statewide goals to encourage continuous improvement of sustainable materials management

D. Building Partnerships for Sustainable Materials Management. In order to work toward the recycling and source reduction goals established herein, the Department shall pursue the following partnerships.

(1) The Department and the Maryland Department of Commerce shall work in cooperation with local economic development agencies to identify local markets for recycled materials and provide siting, permitting, and technical assistance for innovative recycling and resource recovery businesses.

(2) The Department shall work with the Maryland Department of Agriculture to support research and demonstration of innovative technologies for recovering nutrient resources in a manner protective of water quality.

(3) The Department shall work with the Maryland Energy Administration to research and promote methods of recovering energy from waste, including anaerobic digestion.

(4) The Department shall work with the Maryland Department of Transportation Port Administration to develop technical screening criteria and guidance to support innovative reuse and beneficial uses of dredged material removed from the Port of Baltimore’s shipping channels. State agencies shall consider innovative reuse and beneficial uses of dredged material when economically feasible and in conformance with all appropriate environmental standards.

(5) Targeted Outreach Partnerships.

(a) Based on the results of the statewide waste sort study, the Department shall identify key recyclable materials that continue to be disposed in significant quantities in Maryland.

(b) The Department shall seek opportunities to pool resources among producers of products, State and local government agencies, and environmental education organizations to conduct targeted outreach campaigns to reduce disposal for each of the key materials identified.

E. This Executive Order rescinds Executive Order 01.01.2015.01.

Effective date: June 27, 2017