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  • RecycleNOW's 5 Point Agenda
    Released during the 2007 mayoral campaign, this document called on all candidates to become the official voice and champion of recycling in the city, initiate a national search to hire qualified personnel for key recycling jobs, retask and reorganize the recycling and solid waste advisory boards, create a comprehensive plan for waste and recycling and provide the funding to implement the plan. Mayor Nutter endorsed the agenda.
  • Stop Trashing the Climate
    Released on June 5, 2008 (World Environment Day) by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, this report documents the link between climate change and unsustainable patterns of consumption and wasting, dispels myths about the climate benefits of landfill gas recovery and waste incineration, outlines policies needed to effect change, and offers a roadmap for how to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within a short period.
  • Philadelphia Recycling Program at the Crossroads - A Citizens Report on Recycling (Word Document)
    Funded by the William Penn Foundation, his report attempts to answer the question, Why has Philadelphia’s well-staffed and well-funded recycling program achieved so little in comparison with others? It reviews the administrative history in detail including the systematic dismantling of the City’s Recycling office and provisions of the mandatory recycling ordinance as addressed in the Controller's Review of the Recycling Program, May 2005.
  • A Citizen’s Primer on Dual Collection in Philadelphia (PDF Document)
    Also funded by the William Penn Foundation, the report reviewed plans by then Streets Commissioner Wm Johnson to radically change waste management practices to be in line and up to date with industry standards. The full report is attached (it includes an executive summary) along with the article “Innovative Collection Strategies” that updates the report, both authored by Maurice Sampson. Please note: The article was written before Blue Mountain opened their doors, and reflects great skepticism on Sampson’s part of the single stream technology. The essence of his concern: the continued need for public dollars to upgrade the plant as the composition of waste changes and markets place higher standards on the materials they receive. Philadelphia’s Blue Mountain Recycling Facility resolved this concern as the Facility is structured with financial backing from its markets to direct private capital to finance technology issues.
  • Saving Tax Dollars: A Citizens Report on Recycling 2004 (PDF Document)
    This is the report which caught the Controller’s attention and gave raise to his audit also attached. The authors of the report from Clean Water and Clean Air Council both received phone calls on its release warning that if they pushed the report it would be discredited.
  • The City Controller's report titled Review of the Recycling Program, May 2005 is a must-read. (PDF document)