(a) The commissioner of environment and conservation shall establish a comprehensive solid waste management plan for the state. The state plan shall have as its priority the reduction of the volume of wastes going to incinerators or landfills by means of local and regional recycling programs, mulching and composting of yard wastes and other suitable materials, and any other means of ensuring that incinerators and landfills operate in an environmentally and economically sound manner. The state plan shall identify incentives and systems that political subdivisions of this state may use to facilitate recycling and reuse of construction waste.

(b) The state plan shall include provisions for planning, funding, and implementation of the plan, technical and financial assistance and educational programs. Educational programs shall be designed to teach persons living or working in the state the economic, environmental, and energy value of solid waste reduction and encourage them through a variety of means to participate in such activities.

(c) In preparing the state plan, the commissioner may evaluate the use of composting as a method of diverting waste from landfills across all of the political subdivisions of this state. The state plan shall include recommendations for:

(1) Large scale composting in major metropolitan areas; and

(2) Composting strategies that may be applied by specific types of waste producers, including higher education institutions, food service establishments, food retailers, and neighborhood groups.

(d) The state plan shall include recommendations for a statewide system of collecting recyclable plastics that is based on regional collection centers.

(e) The state plan shall also encourage governmental entities, to the greatest extent practicable, to procure and use products and materials with recycled content and to procure and use materials that are recyclable.

(f) The commissioner has the following authority and responsibilities in the development of the state and regional solid waste management plans:

(1) Formulate goals, standards, and criteria for the planning, funding, implementation, and effective maintenance of the comprehensive solid waste management program;

(2) Assist in the preparation and adoption of regional solid waste management plans by the state's nine (9) development districts, in accordance with the state plan;

(3) Ensure that each regional solid waste management plan and the state plan include effective citizen participation programs;

(4) Establish time frames for the timely completion of regional solid waste management plans;

(5) Contract with public or private entities to provide services necessary to comply with this part;

(6) Develop a cost accounting system for use in the development of the state and regional plans and for use by local governments in assessing current and future costs, including avoided costs, for any methods of solid waste management deemed appropriate, including at least recycling, mulching, composting, incinerating and landfilling; and

(7) Describe in the state plan, on a county by county basis, the solid waste management methods utilized in each county and an inventory of facilities, services, and programs (both profit and not-for-profit) utilized for solid waste management and management of recycling.

(g) The nine (9) development districts shall prepare and adopt regional solid waste management plans, consistent with the priorities and criteria of the state plan.

(h) The commissioner shall supplement the state plan that was established most recent to March 23, 2016, by conducting a study to define the processing of organic waste and incorporating the findings and recommendations that are derived from such study into the state plan.