Bob Wilson, of the Senate Majority Policy Office, said the legislation will help improve the amount of waste recycled in Michigan, which is less than in surrounding states.

“It’s meant to incentivize companies to include recycling,” Wilson said.

“We want to do whatever we can for Michigan to double its current program.”

About 20 percent of Michigan’s residential waste is recycled, Wilson said.

James Clift, policy director for the Michigan Environmental Council, said banning items such as newspapers and electronics from landfills is a step in the right direction.

“It helps bolster the recycling programs for those items,” Clift said.

“It could bring jobs to Michigan.”

The proposals should increase the surcharge on each ton of trash that enters Michigan landfills, Clift said.

Michigan charges 21 cents per ton of trash entering state landfills, which is one of the lowest fees in the country, Clift said.

The low surcharge results in a high volume of out-of-state trash entering Michigan.

Nearly one-third of every ton of trash in Michigan’s landfills comes from outside the state, Clift said.

Wilson said the legislation doesn’t include higher surcharges on trash because it would require landfills to break contracts with waste management companies, which is illegal under Michigan law.

Clift sees other reasons for not increasing the surcharge.

“(Landfill owners) are making money on all the trash coming in,” Clift said.

“Therefore our rates are behind other states.”

Nancy Hawkins, executive director of the Michigan Recycling Coalition, said recycling depends on access.

If recycling is to increase, curbside recycling needs to expand, Hawkins said. East Lansing offers curbside recycling.

“That’s when you will see returns increase in terms of recycling,” Hawkins said.

While some communities offer curbside recycling, it isn’t available to enough residents, Hawkins said.

“Curbside recycling is hit-and-miss throughout the state,” Hawkins said.