Chapter 287

287.15   Waste oil collection and recycling.

287.17   Electronic waste recycling.

287.18   Lead acid battery collection.

287.185   Disposal of mercuric oxide batteries.

287.19   Statewide technical assistance.

287.21   Statewide education program.

287.215   Yard waste publicity.

287.22   Council on recycling.

287.23   Financial assistance for responsible units.

287.24   Recycling consolidation grants.

287.27   Materials recovered for reuse or recycling.

287.29   Iron and steel slag recovery.

SUBCHAPTER IV

LITTERING

287.81   Littering.

SUBCHAPTER V

ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES

287.91   Enforcement; duty of department of justice; expenses.

287.93   Inspections.

287.95   Penalties concerning land disposal and incineration; citations.

287.97   Penalties.

Ch. 287 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. NR 185 and 540, Wis. adm. code.

subch. I of ch. 287 SUBCHAPTER I

GENERAL

287.01 287.01 Definitions. Except as otherwise provided, in this chapter:

287.01(1) (1) “Department” means the department of natural resources.

287.01(2) (2) “Foam polystyrene packaging” means packaging made primarily from foam polystyrene that satisfies one of the following criteria:

287.01(2)(a) (a) Is designed for serving food or beverages.

287.01(2)(b) (b) Consists of loose particles intended to fill space and cushion the packaged article in a shipping container.

287.01(2)(c) (c) Consists of rigid materials shaped to hold and cushion the packaged article in a shipping container.

287.01(2m) (2m) “Land spreading facility” means a solid waste disposal facility in which solid waste is placed in thin layers onto the surface of the land or incorporated into the surface layers of the soil.

287.01(3) (3) “Major appliance” means a residential or commercial air conditioner, clothes dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, freezer, microwave oven, oven, refrigerator, furnace, boiler, dehumidifier, water heater or stove.

287.01(4) (4) “Municipality” means a city, village or town.

287.01(5m) (5m) “Person” includes any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, local governmental unit, as defined in s. 66.0131 (1) (a), state agency or authority or federal agency.

287.01(6) (6) “Plastic container” means a plastic container, as defined in s. 100.33 (1) (c), that is required to be labeled under s. 100.33 (2).

287.01(7) (7) “Postconsumer waste” means solid waste other than solid waste generated in the production of goods, hazardous waste, as defined in s. 291.01 (7), waste from construction and demolition of structures, scrap automobiles, or high-volume industrial waste, as defined in s. 289.01 (17).

287.01(8) (8) “Region” means the area within the boundaries of a responsible unit.

287.01(8m) (8m) “Resource recovery” means the conversion of solid waste into fuel or energy.

287.01(9) (9) “Responsible unit” means a municipality, county, another unit of government, including a federally recognized Indian tribe or band in this state, or solid waste management system under s. 59.70 (2), that is designated under s. 287.09 (1).

287.01(10) (10) “Solid waste” has the meaning given in s. 289.01 (33).

287.01(11) (11) “Solid waste disposal” has the meaning given in s. 289.01 (34).

287.01(12) (12) “Solid waste facility” has the meaning given in s. 289.01 (35).

287.01(13) (13) “Solid waste management” means planning, organizing, financing, and implementing programs to effect the storage, collection, transporting, processing, recycling or final disposal of solid wastes in a sanitary, nuisance-free manner.

287.01(14) (14) “Solid waste management plan” means a plan prepared to provide for solid waste management.

287.01(15) (15) “Solid waste storage” has the meaning given in s. 289.01 (38).

287.01(16) (16) “Solid waste treatment” has the meaning given in s. 289.01 (39).

287.01(17) (17) “Yard waste” means leaves, grass clippings, yard and garden debris and brush, including clean woody vegetative material no greater than 6 inches in diameter. This term does not include stumps, roots or shrubs with intact root balls.

287.01 History History: 1989 a. 335 ss. 59, 66b, 76; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 112, 245, 406, 491; 1995 a. 201; 1995 a. 227 s. 884; Stats. 1995 s. 287.01; 1997 a. 35; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2011 a. 32.

287.01 Annotation Under sub. (10), “solid waste” means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply treatment plant or air pollution control facility and other discarded or salvageable materials . . .” Cigarette butts manifestly constitute “other discarded . . . materials.” State v. Iverson, 2015 WI 101, 365 Wis. 2d 302, 871 N.W.2d 661, 14-0515.

287.03 287.03 Departmental duties and powers.

287.03(1) (1) Duties. The department shall do all of the following:

287.03(1)(a) (a) Promulgate rules necessary to implement this chapter.

287.03(1)(am) (am) Promulgate rules concerning the imposition, under s. 285.54, of fees by municipalities on operators of medical waste incinerators.

287.03(1)(c) (c) Coordinate research, technical assistance and education programs under this chapter with related activities of the University of Wisconsin System.

287.03(2) (2) Powers. The department may do any of the following:

287.03(2)(a) (a) Hold hearings relating to any aspect of the administration of this chapter and, in connection therewith, compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence.

287.03(2)(b) (b) Secure necessary scientific, technical, administrative and operational services, including laboratory facilities, by contract or otherwise.

287.03 History History: 1989 a. 335; 1993 a. 75; 1995 a. 27; 1995 a. 227 s. 886; Stats. 1995 s. 287.03; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33; 2011 a. 32.

287.03 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. NR 540, 716, 718, 722, 724, and 726, Wis. adm. code.

287.05 287.05 State solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery policy. The following are declared to be policies of the state concerning the reduction of the amount of solid waste generated, the reuse, recycling and composting of solid waste and resource recovery from solid waste:

287.05(1) (1) That maximum solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery is in the best interest of the state in order to protect public health, to protect the quality of the natural environment and to conserve resources and energy.

287.05(2) (2) That solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery projects should be encouraged in furtherance of these goals.

287.05(3) (3) That encouragement and support should be given to individuals, collectors, handlers and operators of waste facilities to separate solid waste at the source, in processing or at the time of disposal in order to facilitate reuse, recycling, composting or resource recovery.

287.05(4) (4) That research, development and innovation in the design, management and operation of solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery systems and operations are necessary and should be encouraged in order to improve the processes, to lower operating costs and to provide incentives for the use of these systems and operations and their products.

287.05(4m) (4m) That the initiatives of current recyclers which facilitate reuse and recycling through separation, collection and processing of substantial volumes of scrap and waste material, reducing the amount of mixed solid waste that is disposed of in landfills or burned without energy recovery in incinerators, should be encouraged.

287.05(4s) (4s) That the burning of solid waste with energy recovery as a substitute for the burning of nonrenewable fuels, such as coal, to generate steam or electricity is in the public interest and should be encouraged, if done in a state-approved program that protects the public health and welfare and the environment.

287.05(5) (5) That the implementation of solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery systems and operations requires the involvement and cooperation of all persons and entities comprising this state’s society, including individuals, state and local governments, schools, private organizations and businesses. To achieve this involvement and cooperation, state government should rely to the maximum extent feasible on technical and financial assistance, education and managerial practices to implement these policies. Necessary regulations should be developed with maximum flexibility.

287.05(6) (6) That solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery efforts in this state should be planned and coordinated in order to maximize beneficial results while minimizing duplication and inefficiency.

287.05(7) (7) That to achieve the goals in this policy statement the legislature recognizes the necessity of the state to occupy a regulatory role in this field and the necessity to give municipalities and counties certain powers to adopt waste flow control ordinances in order to require the use of recycling and resource recovery facilities.

287.05(8) (8) That the powers enumerated under s. 287.13 constitute proper powers consistent with uniform state policies concerning solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery from solid waste; these powers are necessary for the safe, beneficial, economical and lawful management of solid waste; and these powers are necessary to accomplish or facilitate these uniform state policies by encouraging the financing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, maintenance and ownership of recycling and resource recovery facilities. The powers enumerated under s. 287.13 constitute proper powers consistent with essential and legitimate governmental functions; and these powers are to be utilized in providing for the health, safety and welfare of and providing services and benefits for inhabitants of municipalities, counties and this state.

287.05(9) (9) That the state policies declared under this section and the standards, criteria, requirements and procedures established under s. 287.13 ensure that a municipality or county exercising powers under s. 287.13 acts in a manner consistent with uniform state policies and acts as an arm of the state for the public good.

287.05(10) (10) That solid waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery systems and operations are preferable to land disposal.

287.05(11) (11) That developers and users of land disposal facilities should not become overly committed to land disposal because of the excessively long useful life of a facility or the excessive aggregate capacity of land disposal facilities so that reuse, recycling, composting and resource recovery systems and operations may be implemented rapidly without excessive disruption.

287.05(12) (12) That in the management of solid waste, whenever possible and practical, the state encourages the following priorities:

287.05(12)(a) (a) The reduction of the amount of solid waste generated.

287.05(12)(b) (b) The reuse of solid waste.

287.05(12)(c) (c) The recycling of solid waste.

287.05(12)(d) (d) The composting of solid waste.

287.05(12)(e) (e) The recovery of energy from solid waste.

287.05(12)(f) (f) The land disposal of solid waste.

287.05(12)(g) (g) The burning of solid waste without energy recovery.

287.05 History History: 1983 a. 27, 93, 425, 426; 1989 a. 335 ss. 52, 54 to 56, 76; Stats. 1989 s. 159.05; 1995 a. 227 s. 887; Stats. 1995 s. 287.05.

287.05 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. NR 540 and 722, Wis. adm. code.

subch. II of ch. 287 SUBCHAPTER II

SOLID WASTE REDUCTION, RECOVERY
AND RECYCLING

287.07 287.07 Prohibitions on land disposal and incineration.

287.07(1m) (1m) Batteries, major appliances and oil. No person may:

287.07(1m)(a) (a) Dispose of a lead acid battery or a major appliance in a solid waste disposal facility in this state, except that a person may dispose of a microwave oven in a solid waste disposal facility in this state if the capacitor has been removed and disposed of in accordance with s. 299.45 (7), if applicable.