It would be easy to simply declare Delaware's Universal Recycling Law a big success. While you wouldn't be wrong for doing so, to truly understand why the law has been so successful you have to understand how it evolved and why it works for the First State. Delaware is unique in that most of the population resides in unincorporated areas and less than 10 percent of municipal solid waste is collected by municipal crews or under a municipal contract. And because Delaware is so small, a single statewide entity - the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) - manages all waste and most recycling. Since DSWA touches almost every ton of waste or recycling generated in Delaware, it has the ability to accurately track and record weights of trash and recycling, with historical records dating back to 1975, when the authority was established. This allows for a level of data collection many other states could not possibly accomplish.
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