But the public agency needs to keep control of the incentives. Some communities have introduced economic incentives into their hauling contracts. For instance, weight-based fees give a recyclables hauler the financial incentive to encourage greater participation and recovery. In contrast, most contracts reimburse haulers based on the total number of households served. That actually acts as an incentive against higher recovery, since the hauler makes more money by finishing routes quickly.
Many communities also employ economic incentives for waste reduction in their programs' financing.
Old-fashioned property tax funding for solid waste programs provides the user with no incentive to recycle. Local officials, though, won't wade through the complexities of solid waste contracting for the sake of recycling unless their constituents demand better programs. And, on that point, there may be grounds for optimism. After lying dormant for nearly ten years, activists are taking to the streets again to promote recycling. GRRN's started a campaign last year to pressure Coca Cola to honor its promise to use recycled content in its plastic bottles.