Is it legal to charge money for recycling?

Question

I just started recycling (please spare me the lectures about how I should have been doing it all along). They pick up recycling once a month here. However, they won't take it unless you buy stickers to put on each of the bags of recycling. I'm not originally from around here, but I thought that recycling was free. It was everywhere else I lived.

I'm in Tupper Lake, NY if that matters.

Answer 1

In Massachusetts, there is a "Waste Ban' on recyclables, meaning that it is illegal to throw them away. This is not truly enforced, but it serves a purpose.

Call your local waste authority and ask about this.

(Town Department of Public Works, Town Hall, County Waste District)

Recyclables are worth money ($90-600/ ton for sorted and baled materials), so they are already making a modest income from your recyclables. Hauling and pickup is expensive, but it should be the law in NY that you can recycle for free.

Answer 2

it is probably legal, yeah.

however if you search for one, there is probably  a recycling center somewhere near that will take your recycling. In the case of aluminum, you should always *get* paid for it. plastics and other things, they might just take it and not pay. in my city there is a place (associated with the city) where we can take the recycling ourselves if we want to get paid for aluminum. there are others that are independent from the city as well.

Answer 3

It pretty much depends on the state you live in on whether or not a charge fee is legal.  If your state hasn't made it illegal then the city you live in can tax you to recycle various items.

Answer 4

I don't know what they charge you for the stickers,but only you must decide if you want to recycle or not.If you don't want to pay for the stickers,then don't buy them and put your recyclic waste in your regular garbage.

Answer 5

It is not illegal to charge/make money off re-cycling.

Answer 6

It should be free in my opinion.

if they truely want to encourage people to recycle they should not charge people.

Answer 7

Don't recycle unless you get paid. Put it with your regular thrash and the garbage company will sort it for you. This is one thing they do not tell you becaus it costs them money to sort.

Answer 8

Is it legal, yes. The gov't in your area must have contracted the issue out and are not going to pay for it. By using the stickers, the company (or gov't) can make money off of it.

Is there a moral issue? I think so as most people want to go green and somebody that wants to make a buck off that should be questioned.

Answer 9

Here they charge $12 a month for weekly garbage pickup plus you need a 40 cent tag on each bag.

They  charge $2 a month for weekly recyclables pickup and no tag is need. This is to promote recycling.

Answer 10

In most council areas in Australia we dont pay for recycling of materials directly. Instead there is a general waste removal fee incorperated into the quarterly rates notice (rates are a charge on all properties to cover waste removal ie sewerage and garbage clollection). The council provides seperate bins for general waste and recycleable waste. The town that i live in runs a small bio-gas plant so there is also a third bin for green waste.