What Really Drives Source Reduction Mandates?
Pennsylvania has not allowed new landfills to be developed at a pace sufficient to handle the volumes of waste being generated. In response, Perkasie, a suburban Philadelphia borough, requires households to separate their garbage and provides both an economic incentive and an economic disincentive to make sure families do what is required. By imposing a per-bag fee for garbage collection, while simultaneously collecting materials which may be sold in secondary materials markets, the community tries to “compensate” households for participating. At the same time, families which fail to comply face heavy fines. Borough Manager Paul A. Leonard claims that in imposing per-bag charges in concert with heavy fines for those who do not participate, the community is “letting Adam Smith lead the way.” At the same time, Mr. Leonard puts a chill through consumer-products companies and plastics manufacturers when he argues “We’re not going to let the big guys dump on us anymore. Why should we pay to
