Okla. Stat. tit. 27A, § 27A-2-10-205

A. The Legislature hereby recognizes and declares that it is

necessary for the public interest, health and economic welfare to

encourage and promote the recycling and reuse of recoverable

materials. The recycling and reuse of recoverable materials

substantially reduces disposal costs and the tremendous flow of

solid waste to Oklahoma's dwindling solid waste sites. It is

equally necessary that Oklahoma preserve, expand and encourage

economic growth. The recycling and reuse of recoverable materials

will create new employment, provide and allow for expansion of

existing manufacturing, thereby increasing employment and payrolls

as well as upgrading the state's natural resources.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 27A. Environment and Natural Resources Page 233

B. In addition to the benefits of cost-effective recycling and

reuse outlined in subsection A of this section, the measurable

energy efficiency achieved through the cost-effective recovery and

reuse of recyclable materials by energy-intensive industries shall

be a priority of this state and encouraged by state regulatory

agencies. For purposes of this section, "energy-intensive industry"

means an industry that uses significant quantities of energy as part

of its primary economic activities and includes the following

industries:

1. Information technology, including data centers containing

electrical equipment used in processing, storing and transmitting

digital information;

2. Consumer product manufacturing;

3. Food processing; and

4. Materials manufacturers, including aluminum, chemicals,

forest and paper products, metal casting, glass, petroleum refining,

mining and steel.

C. The Legislature declares that the goal of this state,

hereinafter called the Oklahoma Recycling Initiative, is that each

incorporated municipality with a population greater than five

thousand (5,000), as determined by the most recent decennial census

by the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of

Commerce, should develop and operate a recycling program which will

generate raw materials for the manufacturing industries located in

this state. Due to the importance of the paper industry to

Oklahoma's economy, each cost-effective recycling and reuse program

should at a minimum include the collection of waste paper.

In implementing any recycling program pursuant to the Oklahoma

Recycling Initiative, the municipality may:

1. Consider the overall status of the solid waste collection

system and management within the municipality, including generation,

recycling and disposal;

2. Review five-, ten-, and twenty-year municipality-wide goals

for reducing the amount of solid waste through the recycling of

recoverable materials;

3. Evaluate alternative methods for achieving the Oklahoma

Recycling Initiative through municipality-wide collection systems or

through integrated recoverable materials management on a regional

basis;

4. Establish a comprehensive and sustained public information

and education program concerning the recoverable materials program's

features and requirements; and

5. Include in the program such other information recommended by

the Department of Environmental Quality.

D. The Legislature in an effort to increase statewide recycling

efforts hereby encourages a goal of recycling ten percent (10%) of

the entire solid waste stream produced in this state by December 31,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 27A. Environment and Natural Resources Page 234

2011. The Department of Environmental Quality shall coordinate this

effort with the Oklahoma Recycling Association (OKRA) and any other

interested parties and issue a report to the Legislature by December

31, 2011.