(a) The County Executive must develop a recyclable solid waste program. The program may be established by executive regulation.
(b) Under the recyclable solid waste program, the County must collect, separate, and recycle, to the maximum extent practical, each material listed in subsection 48-46(b) unless:
(1) recycling of that material is not technically feasible on the scale proposed; or
(2) collection and separation of the material (generally or from a particular geographic area or source of waste) and recycling the material will substantially increase the cost to the County solid waste management system of disposing of that material after subtracting all avoided net costs of burning or burying the material.
(c) The regulations may provide for:
(1) creation of recycling service areas for the collection, processing and marketing of recyclable solid waste. The recycling program may vary from recycling service area to recycling service area. The Executive must make every reasonable effort to implement curbside collection of recyclable solid waste in those areas in which solid waste is generally collected at curbside. The basis for determiningrecycling activities in a recycling service area may include:
(A) population densities;
(B) housing patterns;
(C) land use patterns;
(D) the types and amounts of recyclable solid waste generated in any area; and
(E) other factors affecting cost-effectiveness.
(2) creation of financial and other incentives, including technical assistance, awards and publicity, for recycling initiatives undertaken by any person. The financial incentives may include special rates or fees for the collection and processing of recyclable solid waste, to be established when the County Council sets rates and fees for solid waste management and disposal.
(3) purchase of items by the County which are manufactured at least in part from recyclable solid waste.
(d) The regulations must specify the standards and methods by which, and the base from which, the goals of the program and the level of recycling that the program achieves in any year are measured.
(e) The County Executive must adopt an ongoing program to study recycling program and technology. This program must include pilot projects to test the effectiveness of new recycling efforts and to provide the basis for expanding the recycling program.
(f) The County Executive must report to the Council at least every 2 years on the expansion of recycling service areas, and particularly on the extent that new housing subdivisions are included in the service areas.
(g) The County Executive must encourage municipalities and other entities which are not included in a recycling service area to adopt an effective recycling program. The County Executive may enter into agreements with a municipality or other entity to further the objectives of this Article.
(h) The County Executive must report to the County Council twice each year on the progress of the recyclable solid waste program toward meeting the quantitative goals and any problems that hinder the achievement of those goals. (1990 L.M.C., ch. 4, § 1.)