Guam § 44102 - Statement of Policy.

§ 44102. Statement of Policy.

Communities throughout the world, including our island

neighbors of Kiribati and Kosrae, in the mainland United States,

Canada, Australia and much of Europe have found that recycling

has been effective in reducing threats to our environment and in

reducing the enormous volume of solid waste produced by our

modem lifestyles.

Our island environment is precious, vulnerable, and

irreplaceable. No individual, public entity, or private corporation

has the right to pollute our air, water, or soil. The people of Guam

have an ongoing responsibility to conserve, preserve, and enhance

our natural resources and island beauty, and to guarantee their

continued existence and enjoyment in the present and for future

generations.

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Some of the waste filling our dump today and bound for our

landfills tomorrow may represent a potential resource, but without

proper management these wastes will continue to be hazards to our

environment and to life itself. The reduction of solid waste at its

source and the recycling of reusable waste materials will reduce the

flow of waste to dumps and landfills and increase the supply of

reusable materials for use by the public.

The United States Government, our Armed Forces, numerous

businesses and many concerned citizens in Guam have already

adopted environmentally friendly policies and habits to encourage

the purchase, use and re-use of biodegradable, recyclable and

recycled products. Many are presently recycling those products for

which recycling avenues are available in Guam. It is therefore the

policy of this agency of the Government of Guam to establish a

mechanism that will provide incentives to aid the entire recycling

process as it relates to those products for which additional uses may

be found, either in Guam or by sending them off-island, and to set

achievable goals for waste stream reduction in the coming years.