Recycling may take a more predominant role throughout Tennessee if the state adopts a set of proposed solid waste regulations.

Boosting the state's recycling rate may be the only way local governments will meet Tennessee's new waste reduction goal.

Counties currently are required to divert at least 25 percent of their solid wastes away from Class I municipal landfills. Dyer, Crockett and Gibson counties -- which constitute a regional solid waste planning region -- have successfully met that goal in recent years. To meet the goal, the region relies primarily on private companies' recycling efforts and the diversion of construction debris and yard wastes to Class III/IV landfills.

The proposed regulations lower the waste reduction goal to 20 percent, but they also severely restrict the way in which counties may achieve that percentage. Counties will no longer be allowed to count tons recycled by private businesses. And, they can count only those Class III/IV items that are actually recycled or used in beneficial activities.

Yard trimmings, metals, corrugated cardboard, elemental mercury, mercury containing devices and electronic scrap (such as old computers) will be banned from landfills.

Food, food scraps and similar organic wastes also will be banned from landfills. All food products will be directed to other beneficial end uses, such as "meals for the needy, composting and other similar activities," the proposed regulations stated.

Counties and regional solid waste planning regions will no longer be solely responsible for meeting the waste reduction goals. Cities and private entities will bear a portion of the burden.

Cities with a population of 3,000 or more will be responsible for meeting the 20 percent waste reduction goal, as will smaller cities that currently maintain a solid waste system.

Private entities will be required to meet the goal, and progress will be determined through a survey.

Counties will be responsible for unincorporated areas and towns that don't meet the minimum population of 3,000 persons.

Any city or county that fails to meet the annual 20 percent waste reduction goal by 2015 may be fined -- or could lose grants and rebates.

The regulations have not been adopted yet. They were developed this year by a Waste Reduction Task Force and modified by the state's Solid Waste Advisory Committee. A public hearing on the new rules had been scheduled in early December, but that hearing has been postponed.

The draft rules have to be approved by the Tennessee Solid Waste Disposal Board before they will be released for public comment, Wanda Fuzzell, a solid waste planner with the Northwest Tennessee Development District, said.

Members of the Regional Solid Waste Planning Board for Crockett, Dyer and Gibson counties learned about the proposal during their fall meeting on Oct. 21.

Board members expressed some concern.

"We all want to do what's right, but solid waste is always a moving target," Board Chairman Steve Dodds of Newbern said. "You can't start a game with a football and then halfway through hand them a basketball, and that's what the Division of Solid Waste is doing."

Board member Ersley McLemore said complying with the proposed rules will "take an educational effort. We will have to have a plan. We need an ordinance that says you will do this, or you will be fined."

Regional Solid Waste Director Tommy Edmonds said each county is going to have to get more involved in recycling. He recently attended the state solid waste directors meeting and said he learned that "everybody has the same problem -- no facilities and no money."

Now, the state is asking all counties to establish a place where residents may take leftover paint. Edmonds said Hardeman County is already accepting cans of enamel and flammable paints, stacking the cans in 55-gallon drums and holding them until state contractors picked them up. Latex paints are given to government groups or non-profit organizations for projects, such as painting the inside of dumpsters.

"That's just something we're going to have to think about," he said.

Electronic wastes are a growing problem and will probably become even more of a problem when television transmissions switch from analog to digital next year, Edmonds said.

Gibson County currently accepts e-wastes and sells it for 15 cents a pound, he said.

In other news, Edmonds told board members:

* Dyer County expects to receive a $30,100 grant to dispose of waste tires. Gibson County's grant amounted to $44,000 and Crockett County's is $6,500. Edmonds said the company that collects used tires for recycling has added a fuel surcharge now.

* Crockett County installed compactors at three convenience centers to squeeze the most volume into each load.

* Newbern and Gibson County governments received grants to begin burning waste oil for heat.

Board members agreed to meet again at 6 p.m. March 17 in Gibson County.